Grant Shapps has mentioned his daughter confronted anti-Semitic chants at her college within the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7 terror assault on Israel.
The Defence Secretary, who’s a practising Jew, mentioned his daughter had advised him she felt ”uneasy”, with individuals ”rampaging” via her campus chanting the controversial slogan ”from the river to the ocean, Palestine will likely be free”. Mr Shapps advised The Occasions: ”She was telling me individuals had been rampaging via the campus shouting: ‘From the river to the ocean’, which is clearly an anti-Semitic trope, and it places her below strain and makes her really feel uneasy.”
His feedback got here forward of a march in central London the place 1000’s of pro-Palestine protesters referred to as for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as they marched from Financial institution to Parliament Sq. on Saturday (December 9). The march follows the British Authorities selecting to abstain on a United Nations Safety Council decision demanding an instantaneous humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza – a movement which was vetoed by the US.
Mr Shapps advised The Occasions he’s British first, Defence Secretary second and ”thirdly” his faith ”occurs to be Judaism”. He added: ”However most of all I’m a human being. Whether or not somebody dies in Gaza or dies in Israel, to me there isn’t any distinction. It shouldn’t be occurring in both. I feel that sense of humanity ought to be on the forefront of all people’s minds.”
The Defence Secretary has additionally warned the Israel–Hamas warfare might get even worse and presumably spark an ”monumental” battle within the Center East. Mr Shapps is anticipated to debate efforts to hurry up supply of humanitarian help into Gaza throughout a forthcoming go to to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) and Israel.
He is because of meet inside minister of the Palestinian Authority, Normal Ziad Hab Al-Reeh within the OPTs, and Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv throughout his journey on Wednesday and Thursday. Mr Shapps may even focus on how the UK can help the Palestinian Authority and efforts to forestall additional escalation within the Center East, in response to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The Defence Secretary may even speak about efforts to get better hostages – together with various Britons – who had been taken by Hamas fighters throughout the group’s bloody incursion into Israel.
In the meantime, Israel continued to pound areas of the Gaza Strip with airstrikes and artillery on Saturday. Two hospitals in central and southern Gaza obtained the our bodies of 133 individuals killed in bombings over the previous 24 hours, the Well being Ministry within the Hamas-run territory mentioned.
Seventy-one our bodies had been dropped at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital within the central metropolis of Deir al-Balah. The hospital additionally obtained 160 wounded individuals. Dozens held funeral prayers on Saturday morning within the hospital’s courtyard, earlier than taking the our bodies for burial.
Within the southern metropolis of Khan Younis, which has been the main focus of Israel’s army operations over the previous week, Nasser Hospital obtained the our bodies of 62 individuals, in response to the ministry.
An Israeli neighborhood introduced on the identical day {that a} man who had been taken hostage by Hamas militants died in captivity. His captors mentioned Sahar Baruch was killed throughout a failed rescue mission by Israeli forces early on Friday (December 8).
The Israeli army has solely confirmed that two troopers had been severely wounded in an tried hostage rescue and no hostages had been freed. Mr Baruch, 25, was amongst greater than 240 individuals taken hostage on October 7. His brother was killed within the assault on their neighborhood, Kibbutz Be’eri. The kibbutz confirmed Sahar Baruch’s loss of life on Saturday.
Greater than 130 hostages stay in captivity.
In Jerusalem, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man within the West Financial institution on Saturday whereas one other succumbed to his wounds from an Israeli raid the day earlier than, in response to native well being officers.
The deaths dropped at 274 the variety of Palestinians killed within the occupied territory because the begin of the Israel-Hamas warfare. Many of the Palestinians had been killed in shootouts that the Israeli army says started throughout operations to arrest suspected militants.
The Palestinian Well being Ministry mentioned a person, 25, died of his wounds on Saturday after being shot throughout an arrest raid within the Faraa refugee camp on Friday, bringing the loss of life toll there to seven. Amongst these killed was a neighborhood commander of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade.
Additionally on Saturday, Israeli forces killed a 25-year-old Palestinian throughout a raid on his residence close to town of Hebron. The army mentioned the person shot at a army put up earlier within the week. Through the raid on Saturday, the army claimed he attacked troopers with a knife, injuring one.