Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that “a ceasefire is clearly not going to last if hostages are still being held…)and also if Hamas whose stated aim is to destroy Israel is still able to operate in underground tunnels and launch rocket attacks into Israel”, during a Liaison Committee at the House of Commons today.
He welcomed the provision of notice, safe areas and safe passage from the IDF during the conflict, which he said the Government played a part in securing and added that the opening of Kerem Shalom. “The approach we’re taking is yielding outcomes”, he added.
He said it was important to be “absolutely clear” on the course of events: “We can’t forget what happened; Hamas perpetrated an appalling terror attack on Israel. Innocent people were slaughtered and Israel has every right to defend itself, to ensure its security [and] make sure that nothing like that ever happens again to its citizens. We would do exactly the same if it was us”.
When quizzed on where the responsibility lay for civilian casualties, Sunak called it “genuinely an extraordinary question”. “There’s two sides to this,” he clarified. “Israel is trying to defend itself. If the terrorist organisation which is perpetrating these attacks is deliberately embedding themselves inside civilian populations then they have to accept responsibility for that”.
He said that Hamas “knowingly” hide amongst civilians after causing “untold suffering to the Israeli people” as a tactic. “It is important not to forget that is what is going on here”.
Hamas a “permanent roadblock” to peace – Foreign Office Minister in Urgent Question session
Foreign Office Minister Andrew Mitchell added that “leaving Hamas in power in Gaza would be a permanent roadblock on the path” to a sustainable ceasefire, adding that “no one can be expected to live alongside a terrorist organisation committed to their destruction and dedicated to repeating those attacks”.
In the House of Commons during an Urgent Question session today, CFI Parliamentary Vice Chair Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP said that, “the entire Bibas family including 11-month old Kfir Bibas were kidnapped on the 7th of October” and called “both the military defeat of Hamas and the return of all the hostages” essential preconditions for any future ceasefire.
Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said that “talk of a sustainable ceasefire is unhelpful. All it does is give succour to Israel’s enemies at a time of its greatest need”. He added that Israel “fell to its knees just a few weeks ago and suffered the worst tragedy since the Holocaust”. He urged the UK to support Israel’s legitimate military objectives to “eliminate Hamas”, “free the hostages, some of whom are British citizens”, and “protect Israeli security and in doing so… let Israel protect our security as well”.
CFI Parliamentary Officer Bob Blackman CBE MP said that the “129 hostages” held by terrorist group Hamas are being kept from International Red Cross “access”. Simultaneously, Hamas leaders have been meeting in Turkey, “with other terrorist groups planning what they will do next”. Blackman added that calls for a ceasefire “just enables Hamas to regroup and set about their evil doings once again”.
Former Attorney General Rt Hon Sir Michael Ellis MP raised that the IDF had discovered “the largest ever Hamas tunnel, two and a half miles long” over the weekend. Mohammed Sinwar, brother of Hamas chief in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, has been seen “driving through this tunnel as he hides beneath Gaza’s civilian population”, whilst 70 Hamas terrorists surrendered at a hospital where “in incubators for premature babies there were firearms”. These serve as “important reminders of Hamas’ appalling use of human shields”, and show why the UK would be wrong to allow for the terror group to “brutalise” Palestinians and “terrorise” Israelis by calling for a ceasefire “before the threat of Hamas is removed”.
Tom Randall MP also evidenced the events that took place at Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, where “some of whom [who] took part in the October 7th massacres” were arrested. “Weaponry, Hamas intelligence and military and technological equipment was recovered.. underlin[ing] the disregard for civilian human life that Hamas has”.
Greg Smith MP asked of “Turkey’s role in facilitating Hamas continuing war crimes” and asked how the UK intends to pursue “accountability for supposed NATO allies and strategic partners” after top Hamas officials met in the country where they “set out their intent to carry on their brutal acts further to the October 7th massacre”.
Lisa Cameron MP condemned “horrific accounts of sexual violence perpetrated against hostages” such as “gang rape of women and genital mutilation” and called on the UK to “stand firmly” with the survivors and to “strengthen their access to justice”.
Gazan Hospital Director: Hamas turned the hospital into a military facility
Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital has been transformed into a military facility under Hamas control, used as a command centre, according to Hospital Director Ahmed Kahlot in an interrogation with the Shin Bet.
Kahlot also revealed that Hamas at one point “brought a kidnapped soldier there”, and said that 16 of the facility’s doctors and nurses were members of Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades and Islamic Jihad’s Quds Brigades. There are now reports that approximately 90 terror operatives were detained at the hospital by the IDF.
“They hide in hospitals because they believe that hospitals are a safe place”, Kahlot said, adding that, “they will not be harmed if they are inside a hospital”.
“There is a designated space for interrogations, internal security and special security. They all have private phone lines within the hospital”.
The ambulances are reserved for the “mission” including for transferring Israeli hostages, described as “more important” than treating the wounded, which was “refused” by the terror group according to Kahlot. Hamas made use of vehicles and offices with different colours and signs.
“The leaders of Hamas are cowards,” he testified, having been a lieutenant colonel in Hamas himself since 2010. “They left us in the field while they’re hiding in concealed places. They destroyed us”.
International coalition established to counter Iran-backed Houthi attacks on vessels
The U.S. will lead a coalition of 10 nations to counter attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen.
U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the plan dubbed Operation Prosperity Guardian on Monday. The coalition includes the U.K., Canada, Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Norway, Bahrain and Seychelles.
“Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together”, said Austin.
The global cargo choke point, which sees 12 percent of the worlds trade pass through it, has been the subject of consistent attacks on vessels passing through by the Yemen terror group which slogan reads, ‘God Is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam’.
The latest attack, carried out yesterday on the Cayman-Islands flagged Swan Atlantic, saw the U.S. warship the USS Carney respond in-kind. The UK reported that one of its destroyers shot down a suspected drone attack, and on Saturday, a U.S. destroyer shot down 14 drones in the Red Sea.
The Houthi’s terror campaign represents a “flagrant breach of international law”, according to the International Chamber of Shipping, adding that the incidents were now an “extremely serious threat to international trade”.
Many substantial oil and gas companies, including BP, Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Company and CMA CGM have shuttered transport through the area – hiking global fuel prices as ships will now need to take a 40 percent longer route around Africa, increasing travel time by two to four weeks and raising costs per ship by $1 million.
The Houthi’s have vowed to continue attacking trade vessels in what it views as solidarity with Hamas in Gaza.
Elderly hostages feature in Hamas propaganda video, new testimonies
Three elderly kidnapped Israelis from the hard-hit Israeli community Nir Oz, Chaim Peri (79), Amiram Cooper (84), and Yoram Metzger (80), have been featured in a recently released Hamas propaganda video. The three were taken hostage on 7th October during Hamas’ attack.
The clip “shows the cruelty of Hamas against elderly civilians, innocents, who require medical attention”, said IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. “Our hearts are with the hostages and their families at every moment.. We will not rest until you return”.
Roni Metzger, son of Yoram, said his father – who is diabetic and has mobility problems – looked “years older” and that there is not “a shred of liveliness” in any of the hostages. Reports have emerged of talks aimed at reaching a second hostage deal agreement.
Yarden Roman-Gat, also kidnapped and later released, reported to CBS that she was forced to act happy upon her release and feared the threat of sexual violence and rape throughout her capture, under the watch of exclusively male guards and with a hijab as her “only protection”.
No timeline planned as Israel and U.S. discuss war’s next phase
Visiting Tel Aviv on Monday, U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, declined to set any timeline for Israel’s continued offensive against Hamas. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant met with the American official, where he told them that the U.S. will support Israel diplomatically through arms and defence aid.
“This is Israel’s operation, and I’m not here to dictate timelines or terms. Our support [for] Israel’s right to defend itself is ironclad, as you’ve heard me say a number of times, and that’s not going to change”, Austin said – his office released later that the officials discussed transitioning into the “next phase of operations”.
“We will dismantle Hamas, otherwise we will not be able to exist”, Gallant stated, adding that there is “no clock” being considered to achieve “different performances on the ground before we move to the next phase”. Addressing the 7th October massacre, the Defence Minister emphasised that “this is the end of Hamas”.
Expanding on the details of the war’s transition, Gallant said that the IDF will “operate on different levels of intensity” until the IDF can “distinguish between different areas”, after which Israel can designate “certain areas as cleared of Hamas” and can begin “bringing back the local population”.
Austin said that “America’s commitment to Israel is unwavering and no individual group or state should test our resolve”. He pledged munitions, tactical vehicles and air defence systems to tackle the “need to defend” Israel and allow for a path to “lasting security”. He also welcomed “recent initiatives” taken by Israel to secure humanitarian advances, which will “enable us to move even more in” and condemned Hamas’ use of “hospitals, mosques, churches” for tactical cover.
A return to the status quo at the end of fighting would “compound this tragedy”, said Austin, adding that “Israelis and Palestinians have both paid too big a price to just go back to October 6” and instead “both deserve a horizon of hope”.
UK, France, Germany and U.S. condemn Iran’s nuclear advancements
The UK, France, and Germany, with the backing of the U.S., has accused Iran of violating a U.N. Resolution which endorsed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Following the U.S.’ withdrawal from the agreement, Iran followed, and according to the Western powers, continued to develop and test ballistic missiles, transfer hundreds of drones to Russia for its illegal war in Ukraine and enrich uranium to an unprecedented 60 percent.
Russia and Iran jointly accused the West of being “anti-Iran” and dismissed the accusation levelled at them, with Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Iravani saying that Iran is permitted to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. However, it’s near 60% enrichment far exceeds the level required for civilian purposes, and is nearing weapons-grade, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog.
Russia’s UN Ambassador also rejected allegations of Iranian drones used for its illegal war in Ukraine, and stated that “the Russian Federation is firmly convinced that there is no alternative to the JCPOA”. Iran agreed, pledging that it “stands prepared to resume the full implementation of its commitment on the JCPOA once it is revived”.
U.S. Minister Counsellor John Kelly called for Iran to “de-escalate tensions and not continue nuclear provocations that pose grave proliferation risks”, adding that “Iran’s actions suggest this [diplomatic] goal is not its priority”.
Operational update
Rocket barrages continued to be fired by Hamas at central Israel today, including Tel Aviv , for the first time in over a week, as wide ranging rocket attacks set off sirens across the area.
Hamas financier Subhi Ferwana was eliminated by the IDF, Israel announced today. Ferwana and his brother moved tens of millions of dollars to Hamas used for terrorists’ salaries and military equipment.
The IDF carried out airstrikes against Hezbollah terror cells across Lebanon, close to the northern Israeli border. The Iron Dome intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” emanating from Lebanon.
