Note to reader: We wanted to give you a trigger warning on what you may read below. We have chosen, as with every night of these briefings, to not share horrific images, however we want to alert you as sensitively as we can to the reports coming out of Israel and Gaza.
Hamas attack in Jerusalem, three civilians killed
Security Minister Tom Tugendhat on Sunday’s March Against Antisemitism, Israel-Hamas ceasefire
Security Minister Tom Tugendhat appeared on Nick Ferrari’s LBC show this morning, telling listeners that Sunday’s march against antisemitism was a “broad group” of different people and faiths which “had one thing in common” – that they “reject the hatred” seen “on our streets” over recent weeks.
The police, Tugendhat said, “were not only welcomed, but they were treated with extreme courtesy”. “It was quite striking how many people thanked the police because of course they were protecting the marchers, and not policing them as we’ve seen in other places”, the Minister observed.
Separately, Tugendhat told Times Radio that we should “not forget there was a truce between Israel and Hamas, and it lasted right up until October the 7th when Hamas broke it”.
Conservative parliamentarians raise concerns over BBC partiality
Former Attorney General Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Ellis KC MP condemned BBC impartiality in the House of Commons today, stating that “the anti-Israel bile and bias is there for all to see”, following a Telegraph report published yesterday.
The Former Attorney General said that “BBC presenters use their on-air status to espouse fake news about Israel and make scurrilous suggestions about the Prime Minister’s motivations”.
Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt said that whilst “operationally independent”, she “hope[s] that they will reflect on what has happened over the last few weeks and look at what they can do” in order to reassure the British public that they “can rely on the fact that they are getting impartial, good advise… presented with the highest journalistic standards”. “There are questions, that I certainly as a license-fee-payer, would want to be answered”, she added.
CFI Honorary President Lord Polak CBE, said in the Telegraph yesterday that “the BBC is in a mess – much of which is of its own making. The number of times an apology has been made or a post deleted since October 7 has made the BBC unreliable and partisan. Only this weekend Jeremy Bowen admitted he made a mistake but did not apologise. It is therefore little wonder that BBC Asian network despite warnings over the past month has done precious little to ensure that the network is politically neutral”.
Sir Michael Ellis added that “the BBC’s reputation has already suffered badly as a consequence of their biased coverage of this conflict and it’s in the national interest that the BBC management require their staff to maintain proper standards. Those standards should obviously include their presenters not taking sides in an international conflict”.
House of Lords
Yesterday, in a repeat of the Common’s Urgent Question on the Israel-Hamas humanitarian pause Overseas Territories Minister Lord Benyon said that, “we do not want to limit the opportunity for Israel to defend itself and fight a legitimate conflict against Hamas”.
Government holds crisis meeting with Jewish leaders
Government ministers met with Jewish community leaders earlier this month to contend with spiking antisemitism at schools.
“It has been shocking and heartbreaking to hear about the hate Jewish teachers and young people have experienced, and the damage that abuse has caused”, said Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, who organised the meeting.
Jewish teachers have resigned and students have faced genocidal verbal abuse across primary schools today.
In the seven weeks following the brutal October 7th massacres perpetrated by the terror group Hamas, more antisemitic incidents have been recorded than over the whole of 2022, according to the Community Security Trust (CST).
“As a government we will always stand up for our fundamental British values, stand united against hate and intolerance, and nowhere more so than in our schools”, said Keegan in reference to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn statement. The statement pledged an extra £7 million for tackling antisemitism in schools and universities, and an additional £3 million annually for CST.
Schools have reportedly cancelled educational events about Judaism and the Holocaust – deemed too “political” during the Israel-Hamas war.
Three killed and six injured in Hamas shooting attack in Jerusalem, two injured in Jordan Valley terror ramming attack
Three people were killed and eight others wounded in attacks across the West Bank and Jerusalem today.
Three Israelis; Livia Dickman, 24, Elimelech Wasserman, 73, and Hannah Ifergan, who was in her 60s, were killed in a shooting attack claimed by the terror group Hamas at Weizman Boulevard at the entrance to Jerusalem, which also left six others injured.
Hamas claimed the attack and called the perpetrators “jihad-waging martyrs” and called for an “escalation of resistance” – even during the supposed Qatar and U.S. brokered temporary truce between the terror group and Israel.
Two off-duty soldiers and an armed civilian killed the two terrorists who perpetrated the attack, brothers Murad Nemer, 38, and Ibrahim Nemer, 30.
The two terrorists, East Jerusalem residents, were affiliated with the Hamas terror group. Murad was imprisoned in Israel from 2010-2020 due to intentions to carry out terrorist operations in Gaza. Ebrahim was imprisoned in 2014 due to terrorist activity.
Large volumes of ammunition was found in the terrorists’ vehicle. The IDF arrested six members of the family, including their siblings and parents, after the attack.
Two IDF soldiers were also wounded in a ramming attack at the Beka’ot Checkpoint, Jordan Valley, today, according to the IDF.
Second Royal Navy warship sent to Gulf
The UK will send a second warship to the Gulf, in response to rising tensions in the Middle East.
“It is critical that the UK bolsters our presence in the region to keep Britain and our interests safe from a more volatile and contested world”, said Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.
The frigate HMS Lancaster and three Royal Navy minehunters which are already stationed in the region will soon be joined by HMS Diamond – a Type 45 destroyer – which has now been deployed.
The move follows agitation by the Iran-backed, Yemen-based, Houthi terror group, which have seized the UK-linked cargo vessel MV Galaxy Leader and attempted to to hijack a second vessel recently.
Two U.S. aircraft carriers are stationed in the eastern Mediterranean. U.S. forces have recently intercepted rocket strikes launched by the Houthis toward Israel.
Hostage held for 50 days by UNRWA teacher, “man-made cavity” found under UNRWA school
A hostage was held for 50 days in a loft by a teacher from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), according to new reports.
UNRWA has reportedly employed staff, including members of Hamas, who promote terror.
UNRWA also announced yesterday that it found a “man-made cavity” under an UNRWA school in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian terrorist organisations regularly use UN facilities, including schools, as shields for its terror activities against Israel, according to the IDF. UNRWA has previously condemned the construction of terror tunnels under its schools.
In May 2021, Hamas “placed rocket launchpads in a schoolyard and located multiple military tunnels and their openings near UNRWA and other schools, including a kindergarten”, said Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Senior Fellow Orde Kittrie.
99 UNRWA officials have died and almost 50 agency buildings have been destroyed in the war.
Thai freed hostages: Hamas “had a tougher attitude towards the Jews, they were beaten with electric cables”.
Jewish hostages, kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on the 7th October and held in Gaza, “were beaten with electric cables” and treated more harshly than non-Jewish and international hostages. Israelis “were constantly guarded”, according to the testimonies of the Thai nationals. Describing conditions, they said that “we ate one pita a day, and a can of tuna was divided among four people.”
19 Thai hostages have been released, 13 remain in captivity and 39 were killed in the October 7 massacre.
Hostages freed from Hamas today, last night
Two Israeli hostages were freed from the terror group Hamas today. One of the newly released, Mia Schem, 21, appeared in a distressing propaganda video published by Hamas in October.
10 Israeli hostages and four Thai hostages were freed from Hamas on Wednesday evening, after 53 days of being held captive in the Gaza Strip – together with two Russian citizens who were released by Hamas separately that day.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Israeli, Palestinian leaders
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu – and separately, opposition leader Yair Lapid – met with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken today to discuss the release of additional hostages, and “additional regional issues”, according to reports.
“We have sworn, and I have sworn, to destroy Hamas. Nothing will stop us”, Netanyahu reportedly told Blinkin.
Blinkin also met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas today, to discuss the “the security and freedom of Palestinians in the West Bank”, and committed to “tangible steps for a Palestinian state”.
