Tag Archives: Hamas

Tory Minister Says Pro-Palestine March On Remembrance Day Should Be Stopped

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A pro-Palestine march planned for Remembrance Day is “inappropriate”, security minister Tom Tugendhat has said.

He has written to London mayor Sadiq Khan, Westminster Council and the Metropolitan Police setting out his concerns about the event, which is due to take place on Saturday, November 11.

That is also Armistice Day, which marks the end of fighting in the First World War. A two-minute silence will be held at 11am.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast this morning, Tugendhat said that the planned march was “a matter of great concern to me”.

He said: “I know that many of my fellow veterans will be looking forward to that day, not a day of joy but a day of grief. It’s a day when many of us remember those who aren’t standing with us, who aren’t there to lay a wreath, who aren’t there with their friends to have a beer afterwards and talk about the old days.

“It’s a moment when we remember those we lost and I think for the whole country, the Cenotaph is sacred ground and the idea that on a day like Remembrance Day you’d have a protest going past it, I don’t think that’s acceptable.”

However, organisers of the march have insisted they will not go past the Cenotaph, where politicians and veterans will lay poppy wreaths for Remembrance Sunday the following day.

Tugendhat said that in his letters, he had asked Sadiq Khan, Westminster Council and the Met to “look very carefully at the powers that they have and to consider what options they have available” with regard to the November 11 march.

He added: “Personally, I don’t think this is an appropriate time for a protest.”

HuffPost UK understands that only home secretary Suella Braverman has the power to ban the march.

Asked if the protest should be banned, Tugendhat said: “I think protest is incredibly important in a free society.

“I’m just saying the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday is a particularly sensitive time and a sensitive place and it’s a moment when the country comes together, and so I think there are moments where and places where that’s not appropriate.”

Friends of Al-Aqsa (FOA) is planning to bus protestors from Leicester to London to take part in the march calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

FOA spokesman Ismail Patel said: “We definitely will not be at the Cenotaph. We understand the sensitivity of the date.”

A Met Police spokesperson said the organisers of the November 11 march were considering different locations in London.

He said: “They have indicated they are planning a march on the Saturday, but that they are considering different locations given the sensitives around this date,” the spokesperson said.”

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US Confirms It Has Sent Artillery Previously Meant For Ukraine To Israel

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The US has confirmed that shells originally intended to aid Ukraine in its war against Russia have now been sent to Israel amid its conflict with the Palestinian militants, Hamas.

Reports that tens of thousands of artillery shells – specifically 155mm projectiles – previously earmarked for Ukraine, were being redirected to Israel started circulating last week.

And on Monday, a US senior defence official confirmed some had indeed been re-routed.

The unnamed official told journalists that “prior to the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, some 155[mm shells] had been withdrawn from the war reserve stockpile in Israel, to replenish US stocks in Europe”.

The New York Times has previously reported that the US had been moving munitions, potentially up to 300,000 shells, from Israeli storage to Ukraine since 2022.

But, as the official noted, there’s now been a U-turn in the Pentagon, following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

They said: “Much of that has been redirected and provided to the Israel Defence Forces for their use.”

The Pentagon had been keeping munitions in Israel as an emergency in case of war in the region or as a resource for other US allies.

The US does not formally need Israel’s consent to move such items, but local officials confirmed they had it anyway – from then-prime minister Yair Lapid’s –when looking to transport the munitions to Ukraine.

As Reuters noted in January, if such transfers had happened under current PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s watch, it may have stretched his budding relationship with Russia.

Now, munitions have been redirected back to Israel – even though Ukraine still has more than 1,000km of active frontline to fight.

Ukraine’s minister for strategic industries, Oleksandr Kamyshin, told POLITICO on Monday that the Israel-Hamas war showed the West needs to increase its arms production.

“The free world should be producing enough to protect itself. That’s why we have to produce more and better weapons to stay safe,” Kamyshin said.

Back in the US media briefing on Monday, journalists asked the Pentagon representative why weapons were going to Israel, even though the White House has regularly emphasised how much munition Ukraine needs.

The official said the US is “assessing US stocks globally and what can be made readily available to the needs of Israel as well as Ukraine”, before adding: “Also the United States can walk and chew gum at the same time.

“So we’re going to continue to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend its territory. And at the same time we’re ensuring that Israel has what it needs. Two very different operational environments with different levels of need and consultation. And we’re continuing to prioritise both.”

The change follows a domestic split in US politics about just how much funding and weaponry Washington DC should continue to send to Kyiv more than 18 months after Russia first invaded.

As Nikolay Kozhanov, a consulting fellow at the Russia and Eurasia Programme of think tank Chatham House told HuffPost UK, the conflict in the Middle East works to Russia’s advantage as a means to distract the West from the Ukraine war.

The Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed in his own press briefing on Tuesday that the West’s ability to keep supplying Ukraine was limited, according to Sky News.

It’s worth remembering that are some complicated international politics at play between the two wars, too.

Since the Hamas massacre on October 7 and the following war between Gaza and Israel, Ukraine has sided with Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile, Russia has reiterated its support for a Palestinian state, after years of trying to build a friendship with Israel. Moscow is openly calling for a ceasefire, too.

The Israel-Hamas war is threatening to spill into a regional conflict – a fight which began in the Gaza Strip, has already led to many deaths in West Bank – and the war in Ukraine is expected to continue for some time yet.

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David Lammy Says It Is ‘Right’ That Labour Politicians Avoid Palestine Protests

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Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has said it is “right” that Labour MPs do not attend protests about the Israel-Hamas war.

Labour MPs and councillors were sent emails from the party leadership, “strongly advising” them not to attend any protests or rallies.

Thousands of people took part in a pro-Palestine march in the centre of London yesterday, with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn among those who addressed the crowds.

It came amid the ongoing conflict sparked by last weekend’s attacks on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

On the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Lammy said Labour politicians should be “careful and cautious” about who they appear alongside.

He said: “It’s important that as we want to be the next government, that people do not share platforms with people who do not share Labour values, that they’re careful and cautious.

“And we’ve seen Labour members of parliament exercise that caution over the last few days and I think that must be right.”

Presenter Victoria Derbyshire said: “So are you saying because again, I want to be clear. If you’re a Labour MP or Labour councillor, you shouldn’t go for example, to a pro-Palestinian rally?”

Lammy replied: “If you’re a Labour MP, you should always be careful whom you share platforms with at this moment, and you should be very careful that you do nothing to drive division in our communities.

“There’s a rise in anti-semitism, there’s a rise in Islamophobia in our country as I speak. In a position of responsibility, you do everything to minimise those who sew division.”

The Labour party under Keir Starmer have been keen to banish any remnants of anti-semitism that was associated with the party under its former leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Querying whether or not the guidance given to Labour MPs and councillors applied to protests supporting both sides of the conflict, Derbyshire said: “And are you saying they can’t go to a pro -srael rally?”

Lammy said: “Guidance has gone out. It’s very clear what that guidance is.

“People have a right to protest in our country. It’s a right we defend because we’re a democracy, justice. We defend the rule of law and international law. So people have the right to protest.

“We as leaders in our community should be very judicious and careful. I think this time, that’s the right thing to do. And it’s particularly the right thing to do if you hope one day to be the government.”

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James Cleverly Urges Israel To Show ‘Restraint And Discipline’ In Gaza

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The UK government urged has Israel to show “restraint and discipline” as it steps up its military action against Hamas in Gaza.

Foreign secretary James Cleverly said that while he supports Israel’s right to defend itself, they must do everything they can “to minimise civilian casualties”.

His comments came as he was being interviewed by Trevor Phillips on Sky News this morning.

Phillips asked him: “As steadfast as you might be in your friendship, one element of friendship is giving good advice.

“The Israelis say that they plan to eradicate or eliminate Hamas. Are you saying to your Israeli counterpart, this is a realistic objective?”

Cleverly said: “We have a very, very good working relationship with the Israeli government and whenever I have spoken to them, I’ve reinforced the UK’s position about the preservation of life, the avoidance of civilian casualties.

“I know the Israelis completely understand that.”

He added: “Restraint, discipline. These are the hallmarks of the Israeli defence force that I want to see.

“And indeed, those are the hallmarks of a high-functioning military organisation which the Israel Defence Force is, in stark contrast to the terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas and I’ve maintained that clear distinction.”

More than 1,300 Israelis were killed and hundreds taken hostage following attacks by the Hamas militant group a week ago.

Some 2,300 have been killed in Israel’s bombing campaign of the Gaza Strip launched in the aftermath.

Around 1.1 million people in northern Gaza have also been ordered to leave by Israel ahead of an expected ground invasion.

The UK government has faced mounting pressure to be clearer in their stance on the war amid claims Israel is breaking international law.

Phillips said: “So to be absolutely clear, our government’s position is full support for Israel, full support for military action, but we are urging restraint and discipline?”

Cleverly said that was “a pretty good synopsis”.

He added: “Of course we respect Israel’s right to self defence. They’ve experienced the most horrendous terrorist atrocity which is still being perpetrated.

“Images of people being held, images of bodies being desecrated, are still sloshing around on social media, so of course, they have every right and we support this right to protect themselves whilst doing it.

“We’ve said though, do everything you can to minimise civilian casualties. Do everything you can to prevent Hamas getting what they want, which is this to escalate into a wider regional conflict.

“No country, including the United Kingdom, would give carte blanche to any other nation and that is a universal truth not not specifically about Israel.”

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Donald Trump Blames Hamas Attack On German Bread In Half-Baked Spelling Goof

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Donald Trump finally found the perfect treat on Friday to go with a cup of covfefe: a “STOLLEN” election.

Stollen is a delicious German Christmas bread similar to fruitcake — and the latest spelling gaffe for the ex-president.

Trump of course meant “STOLEN” in his all-caps Truth Social blather blaming the Hamas attack on the lie that the 2020 U.S. election was rigged against him and he therefore couldn’t be in charge to keep the peace.

Hamas militants stormed Israel in an Oct. 7 killing spree, sparking a war that has already claimed the lives of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza.

“THE ATTACK ON ISRAEL WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED, ZERO CHANCE, IF THE ELECTION OF 2020 WAS NOT RIGGED AND STOLLEN. IT SHOWS THE WORLD HOW IMPORTANT ELECTIONS ARE… HOW COULD CROOKED JOE BIDEN, THE WORST AND MOST INCOMPETENT PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN?” Trump wrote.

Trump, who faces indictments related to his fabrications about election theft, had already said in a previous rant that there was “ZERO CHANCE” Russia would have attacked Ukraine on his watch.

But “STOLLEN” at least conjures images of holiday cheer at a time we could use it ― even if it is just October.

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4 Ways The Israel Conflict Has Impacted UK Life Over The Last Week

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Israel’s ongoing conflict with Palestinian militants may be far away, but it’s having a profound impact on life around the world – including the UK.

At the moment, despite voicing support for the Israelis after Hamas’ brutal attacks and sorrow for the suffering in Gaza, none of the Western powers are directly involved yet.

In fact, UK PM Rishi Sunak has said he is keen to prevent “further escalation” in the region, and the US secretary of state Anthony Blinken has promised “intensive diplomacy” to stop more nations wading into the conflict.

But, the horrendous eruption of violence in the Middle East has still triggered ripples all around the world. Here’s how.

1. International citizens likely to be hostages

When Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, it took at least 150 people, including women and children, hostage – and it has killed more than a thousand people in the days since.

The majority of those taken are believed to be Israeli, but US President Joe Biden said on Monday that it was “likely” American citizens were among them.

UK defence secretary Grant Shapps also said it was “highly likely” that there were British civilians among the hostages on Thursday.

However, there’s been no confirmation about the hostages’ nationalities yet.

They are currently being hidden by Hamas in Gaza, and Israel does not plan to stop its siege of the region until they are released.

According to the Washington Post, people from 23 countries outside of Israel and Palestinian territories have been killed in the conflict. That includes Europeans, those from North and South America, Africa and Asia.

The UK is in the process of organising flights out of Israel for vulnerable Brits and diplomats, although it will cost £300 per passenger.

Protesters in solidarity with Israel and in solidarity with Palestine have popped up across the UK recently
Protesters in solidarity with Israel and in solidarity with Palestine have popped up across the UK recently

2. Jewish schools in the UK

Several Jewish schools closed in north London on Friday due to safety concerns.

One parent told Sky News that he had been advised to change his children’s uniforms so “they are not signalling in any way they are Jewish”.

Downing Street declared it was putting £3 million aside for the Community Security Trust, on Thursday, to protect the UK’s Jewish population.

3. Rows over flags

The FA announced on Thursday that the Wembley arch will not be lit up in the colours of the Israeli flag, despite calls for the landmark to show solidarity with Tel Aviv.

Only flags supporting the two teams playing on Friday will be permitted into the stadium, too, while players will be wearing black armbands to show support for all the victims of the war.

The UK’s culture secretary Lucy Frazer posted on X (formerly Twitter) to say she was “disappointed” by the FA’s decision.

Police around the UK won’t stop people waving Palestinian flags either, while France has banned pro-Palestinian protests – and arrested anyone who defies them.

4. BBC criticised over language for Hamas

The BBC has been dragged into a row about bias over its reluctance to use the word “terrorist” to describe any Hamas fighter.

Following a widespread backlash, it justified the decision on Wednesday, saying it was following its editorial guidelines.

The broadcaster’s head of editorial policy and standard, David Jordan, said: “It’s a policy that’s been applied to conflicts around the world and indeed conflicts in our own country.

“We didn’t have a policy of describing the IRA as terrorists throughout the Troubles in Northern Ireland. To this day, we don’t call republican splinter groups, for example, and others terrorists in that context.”

However, defence secretary Shapps clashed with a BBC presenter over its decision on Friday, while the PM has said that it is “incumbent” on the BBC – as the UK’s national broadcaster – to refer to the militants as terrorists.

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