Rishi Sunak has pledged to provide diplomatic, intelligence or security support to Israel if requested after attacks by Hamas, as he prepared to chair an emergency meeting of Cobra.
No 10 said the UK stood “poised” to help Israel militarily if it asked for assistance and is not ruling out evacuating some British citizens from affected areas, saying keeping them safe was the “utmost priority”.
Sunak will chair a meeting of Cobra on Monday afternoon, which is convened to manage the UK’s response to disasters, as the death toll continues to rise after Hamas’s surprise attack and hostage-taking, and Israel’s subsequent bombardment of Gaza. At least 700 people have been killed in Israel and more than 400 have been killed in Gaza.
Sunak, who had a phone call with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sunday, said the UK was one of Israel’s strongest allies and he highlighted that Britain had previously provided “the kinds of equipment that they’ve used to defend themselves over the past couple of days”.
“And as I said to the prime minister [of Israel], we will continue to provide – whether that’s diplomatic, intelligence or security support – as they need,” he said, after a meeting at a business in Newark, Nottinghamshire.
“I’m chairing a Cobra with my ministerial colleagues this afternoon, when we’ll continue to discuss the situation, but we’re in close dialogue with our Israeli counterparts.”
Asked whether the UK would back Israel if it was to launch a ground operation in Gaza, No 10 said: “We support Israel exercising its right to self-defence and proportionate action to bring an end to the violence.”
The spokesperson said there were no plans to redeploy military assets to the area but that there were currently British assets in the region, including HMS Duncan under Nato control, which is patrolling in the Mediterranean.
Some countries have begun to withdraw their citizens from Israel and Gaza but the UK Foreign Office is currently only asking British or dual nationals affected to contact its helpline. The Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the region due to the conflict.
There are no standalone flights being organised by Britain at this stage but the possibility of evacuations is being kept under review. There are an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 British or dual nationals in Israel and Gaza, according to the UK government.
No 10 said: “It’s a fast-moving situation that the Foreign Office are keeping under review. We are contacting relevant groups and nationals where required.”
Asked whether the UK thought Iran had any involvement in the encouragement of Hamas’s attacks on Israel, Sunak’s spokesperson said Hamas was “fully responsible for this appalling act of terror”, but he added: “We do know Iran poses an unacceptable threat to Israel through its support for Hamas and Hezbollah.”
No 10 said Suella Braverman, the home secretary, was monitoring reports of increased antisemitic attacks and had spoken with the Community Security Trust, the organisation working to protect British Jews, with the possibility of surge police patrols in some areas.
Also
> Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has said his wife’s parents are currently trapped in Gaza.
Awkward.
I’d support boots on the ground to put down the terrorists. Israel likely won’t need our help though.
Of course. So much support for colonialism, but never any when Israel was massacring Palestinians over the past half century.
Of course the UK gives unconditional support for its colonialism buddies. Ol Britannia will jump at any chance to mistreat natives and violate human right
As a german i also support if the Bundeswehr would intervene in Gaza and Lebanon. This madness has to end. We have to show them that they crossed the red line.
Get ya beak out you absolute clown
Doesn’t Israel have a very capable military of their own? Isn’t that the exact reason why they receive annual military aid? Unless other neighbors get involved, they should be perfectly capable of handling this by themselves. Its a rich country with their own military industry, perfectly capable of arming themselves, not to mention the aid they receive.
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Rishi Sunak has pledged to provide diplomatic, intelligence or security support to Israel if requested after attacks by Hamas, as he prepared to chair an emergency meeting of Cobra.
No 10 said the UK stood “poised” to help Israel militarily if it asked for assistance and is not ruling out evacuating some British citizens from affected areas, saying keeping them safe was the “utmost priority”.
Sunak will chair a meeting of Cobra on Monday afternoon, which is convened to manage the UK’s response to disasters, as the death toll continues to rise after Hamas’s surprise attack and hostage-taking, and Israel’s subsequent bombardment of Gaza. At least 700 people have been killed in Israel and more than 400 have been killed in Gaza.
Sunak, who had a phone call with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sunday, said the UK was one of Israel’s strongest allies and he highlighted that Britain had previously provided “the kinds of equipment that they’ve used to defend themselves over the past couple of days”.
“And as I said to the prime minister [of Israel], we will continue to provide – whether that’s diplomatic, intelligence or security support – as they need,” he said, after a meeting at a business in Newark, Nottinghamshire.
“I’m chairing a Cobra with my ministerial colleagues this afternoon, when we’ll continue to discuss the situation, but we’re in close dialogue with our Israeli counterparts.”
Asked whether the UK would back Israel if it was to launch a ground operation in Gaza, No 10 said: “We support Israel exercising its right to self-defence and proportionate action to bring an end to the violence.”
The spokesperson said there were no plans to redeploy military assets to the area but that there were currently British assets in the region, including HMS Duncan under Nato control, which is patrolling in the Mediterranean.
Some countries have begun to withdraw their citizens from Israel and Gaza but the UK Foreign Office is currently only asking British or dual nationals affected to contact its helpline. The Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the region due to the conflict.
There are no standalone flights being organised by Britain at this stage but the possibility of evacuations is being kept under review. There are an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 British or dual nationals in Israel and Gaza, according to the UK government.
No 10 said: “It’s a fast-moving situation that the Foreign Office are keeping under review. We are contacting relevant groups and nationals where required.”
Asked whether the UK thought Iran had any involvement in the encouragement of Hamas’s attacks on Israel, Sunak’s spokesperson said Hamas was “fully responsible for this appalling act of terror”, but he added: “We do know Iran poses an unacceptable threat to Israel through its support for Hamas and Hezbollah.”
No 10 said Suella Braverman, the home secretary, was monitoring reports of increased antisemitic attacks and had spoken with the Community Security Trust, the organisation working to protect British Jews, with the possibility of surge police patrols in some areas.
Also
> Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has said his wife’s parents are currently trapped in Gaza.
Awkward.
I’d support boots on the ground to put down the terrorists. Israel likely won’t need our help though.
Of course. So much support for colonialism, but never any when Israel was massacring Palestinians over the past half century.
Of course the UK gives unconditional support for its colonialism buddies. Ol Britannia will jump at any chance to mistreat natives and violate human right
As a german i also support if the Bundeswehr would intervene in Gaza and Lebanon. This madness has to end. We have to show them that they crossed the red line.
Get ya beak out you absolute clown
Doesn’t Israel have a very capable military of their own? Isn’t that the exact reason why they receive annual military aid? Unless other neighbors get involved, they should be perfectly capable of handling this by themselves. Its a rich country with their own military industry, perfectly capable of arming themselves, not to mention the aid they receive.