Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt said yesterday that “it is incredibly important” that Warwick University, St. Andrew’s University and Bristol University “get their act together”, following antisemitic incidents at the institutions.
“They owe it to this country and everyone in it, in particular the Jewish community”, she said. “I again pay tribute to the work of the Union of Jewish Students, who do so much work to combat the terrible antisemitism that is unfortunately lingering in some of our academic institutions”, Mordaunt added.
CFI Parliamentary Vice Chair Andrew Percy MP said that Chanukah “is normally the time of year for joy”, but many Jews are “frightened” to express their “Jewishness on the streets of this country”.
Percy said that “Jew hate… on some of the marches” and antisemitism on campus were contributing factors. He raised that at Warwick University, infiltrators into a WhatsApp group called the Jewish Society “effing dirty Jewish” expletives. At St Andrews, “visibly Jewish students” were “egged” and “an emeritus professor at Bristol called for her followers to blow up the Jewish Labour Movement”, he added.
The Leader of the House also condemned “utterly indefensible” attitudes and actions from those “charged with carrying out a public service, especially one that requires the trust and confidence of the local community”, in response to CFI Parliamentary Officer Bob Blackman CBE MP’s condemnation of Abdul Wahid, NHS GP for Harrow and alleged “head of the UK arm of Hizb ut-Tahrir”.
Wahid reportedly “utters the most vile antisemitism possible and praised the attacks of 7 October”, said Blackman, who added that the “large Jewish community” in the London borough will be “fearful” of visiting their GP “in case he is the one who sees them”.
“I am sure that this is not the last we will hear about the case that my Hon Friend has raised”, responded Mordaunt after Blackman said that Wahid’s “right to be in this country should be cancelled and he should be deported”.
“We must ensure that extremism is not allowed in our public services”, he added. Membership and expressing support for Hamas is an illegal act in the UK, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Child and civilian objects playing crying sounds riddled with explosives by Hamas to kill IDF soldiers
The IDF has revealed Hamas’ cynical use of child and civilian objects, such as dolls in pink jumpers and children’s backpacks, to take advantage of Israeli values and instincts to save innocent civilians and children.
Speakers, which played crying sounds, were placed beside the items fitted with explosives, which would detonate to kill soldiers.
The speakers were placed beside a tunnel shaft connected to a Hamas command and control centre based in a mosque. Cameras were fitted to monitor the activities of the IDF in the vicinity.
ICRC President, who still have not visted hostages: “The more public pressure we seemingly would do, the more [Hamas] will shut the door”
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger has said that applying pressure on Hamas “is not going to work” in a meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel’s Prime Minister asked Spoljaric Egger, “why don’t you try?” ICRC officials have reportedly argued that criticising Hamas would lead to obstinance from the terror group. Netanyahu also criticised “statements that have come out from the organisation” for not differentiating between the Hamas genocidal crimes and “unintended casualties that accompany any war.”
After the meeting, Spoljaric Egger tweeted that the ICRC “must be granted permission, with practical details agreed between the parties, for visits to take place”, reiterating that “hostages must be released – immediately” but fell short of mentioning Hamas by name or condemning the terror group directly.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said that the Red Cross is failing its humanitarian mission: “the Red Cross has no right to exist if it does not reach [the hostages], determine their condition, and provide them with medical treatment and medications”, adding that “every day that passes is another failure for the Red Cross”.
The families of hostages have reportedly slated the international agency as just an “Uber service” for hostages upon release – blasting the organisation for refusing to accept urgently needed medicine for many of the most vulnerable abductees.
A package labeled “medication and first aid for the hostages” was passed by Netanyahu to the ICRC chief, who was urged to ensure that it reaches the hostages by the Prime Minister. Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum said “we are demanding the immediate transfer of medicines to hostages” in a statement.
In Israel for the first time since the barbaric October 7th massacres, President Spoljaric Egger also met with hostage families, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Health Minister Uriel Busso.
Hostage family representatives also met with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres overnight in New York. “You need to come to the kibbutzim and the location of the [Supernova] party, to visit Israel and see what our loved ones went through. That’s what a real leader does”, urged Ye’ela David, whose brother Eviatar is held in Gaza by terror groups.
The UN chief has called for a ceasefire and previously stated that it is “important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum”. The Israeli Foreign Minister called his tenure “a danger to world peace”.
1 in 5 rockets launched by Hezbollah, have fallen short, landing in Lebanon.
One in five of the hundreds of rockets fired by the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah toward Israel have fallen short and struck inside Lebanese territory, according to the IDF spokespersons unit.
Israel responded to Hezbollah rocket fire by via helicopter and drone strikes against a number of Hezbollah posts in southern Lebanon. A rocket launcher and “suspicious aerial target” were destroyed by the IDF, but rockets and a drone landed in Israel near an army post and across open areas.
The IDF has stated that troops are being readied for “additional possible scenarios on the northern border” amid successive Hezbollah attacks in almost daily barrages, sounding sirens across northern Israel, since October 7th. Hezbollah rocket attacks against Israel violate UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the IDF said.
Dubbed “Precious Time”, intensive training is being rolled out for open and urban combat, from the level of platoons to battalions and in armoured vehicles and weaponry, according to the IDF.
There have been reports of a proposed “diplomatic solution” to remove Hezbollah presence from the border shared with Israel. “If the world doesn’t get Hezbollah away from the border, Israel will do so”, said War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz visiting northern Israel as rocket sirens blared in the north Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona today.
“Rockets aim to harm and kill — putting both Israeli and Lebanese civilians at risk,” the IDF tweeted on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. “The IDF will continue to defend Israel’s northern border from any threat”, the unit added.
Eight rockets reportedly landed inside Lebanon during a barrage fired this week, launched from deeper within Lebanon than the southern border with Israel. On Monday, the community of Rosh Hanikra and areas near the city of Kiryat Shmona were targeted by Hezbollah.
Senior Biden administration Official: “It’s safe to say it doesn’t matter how long it takes. justice will be served”, against Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar.
A senior Biden administration official has stated that Hamas’ Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar’s “days are numbered”. The comments came in a press briefing on Thursday.
Yahya Sinwar, who has led the terrorist organisation Hamas since 2017 from the Gaza Strip, stands accused of plotting and spearheading the terror groups October 7th massacres.
“It doesn’t matter how long it takes…justice will be served”, the senior U.S. official pledged, adding that he has “American blood on his hands”. The language follows similar messaging from Israeli officials that Sinwar is a “dead man walking”.
Thirty-eight Americans were killed by Hamas during their October 7th attacks. Eight citizens and residents of the U.S. are still being held hostage by the terror group.
A flier, which has not been officially confirmed, recently circulated social media claiming that up to $400,000 was being offered for Sinwar, together with smaller bounties for other leading terrorists. Since Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, relocated to Qatar, Sinwar has been the most senior terrorist residing in the Gaza Strip.
Sinwar was sentenced to four life sentences in 1989 by Israel, for plotting to abduct and murder two IDF soldiers and four Palestinians. In a deal to free IDF soldier Gilad Shalit from Hamas captivity 22 years later, he was released and returned to Gaza.
Russia to provide Iran with Su-35 fighter jets, Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 pilot training aircraft, in new interstate agreement.
A “major new interstate agreement” is being advanced between Russia and Iran, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met for talks on Monday.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin held five hours of talks in the Kremlin with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi last week. The Kremlin last month said Russia and Iran were developing relations “in the field of military-technical cooperation”.
Russia will provide Iran with Su-35 fighter jets, Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 pilot training aircraft, according to Iranian authorities last month. Iran has supplied Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) six Mohajer-6 drones for Russia’s intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance missions in its illegal war in Ukraine.
Following the brutal Hamas-led massacres on October 7th, the Presidents of the two anti-Western countries have reportedly engaged in “extensive negotiations” to further advance “bilateral cooperation”. Iranian and Russian senior diplomats have discussed “the importance of an immediate ceasefire” in Gaza and “mobilising the authority of the UN for these purposes”.
The statement represents a shift in the Kremlin’s stance, following a 50-minute conversation on Sunday between the Russian President and Israeli Prime Minister, who “expressed sharp criticism over the dangerous cooperation between Russia and Iran”, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Russia has hosted leaders of the terror group Hamas since October 7th. Senior Iranian and Hamas officials have said that Hamas receives training and weapons from Iran – including instructions of the construction of its massive terror tunnel network beneath the Gaza Strip.
Russia and Iran also both maintain a presence in Syria. The Russian Aerospace Force and terror groups linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have recently carried out attacks in the country. North Korea is shipping vast amounts of ammunition to Russia.
Aid approved via Kerem Shalom crossing by Israel, Operational update
Israel’s Security Cabinet approved the entry of humanitarian aid via the Kerem Shalom crossing. The move will mean that aid will not need to travel through Rafah to reach the Strip, and can more quickly be distributed.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matt Miller hailed Israel’s “enduring deconfliction routes” and four-hour pauses in the fighting in alternate neighbourhoods.
Hamas launched a rocket barrage toward Jerusalem today, with one falling near a hospital in Ramallah. The IDF has continued to push into Khan Younis, south Gaza Strip, killing Hamas operatives, seizing weapons and intelligence materials.
IDF pumping of seawater into the complex and vast network of terror tunnels constructed with Iranian assistance by Hamas has been a success, according to reports. The location of hostages, according to Israeli intelligence, will mean that they are not endangered by the operation.
“The tunnels were built by well-trained and educated engineers who considered all possible attacks from the occupation, including pumping water,” said Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan, adding that the network is “an integral part of the resistance, and all consequences and expected attacks have been taken into account”.
Last week, the IDF announced the discovery of over 800 tunnel shafts and that 500 of them were already destroyed. Liquid explosives and dispatching dogs, drones and robots are also being considered as potential steps to destroy the network.
