By Jessica Frank-Keyes
Rishi Sunak has warned that the international community needs to do everything possible to “stop a contagion of conflict” amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The Prime Minister, who visited Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt this week, said: “The overwhelming view I got from everyone I spoke to this week was that we need to do everything possible to stop a contagion of conflict in the region.”
It comes as the UK government has confirmed some arrests have been made under terrorism legislation amid rising tensions between British Jewish and Muslim communities.
While British intelligence chiefs are considering raising systems from substantial to the top level of critical, effectively putting them on high alert for a terrorist attack, according to Politico.
At the Five Eyes intelligence chiefs summit in the US last week, MI5 chief Ken McCallum warned of the possibilty “profound events in the Middle East will either generate more volume of UK threat, and/or change its shape in terms of what is being targeted”.
Speaking about protests related to the Israel-Hamas conflict on Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, immigration minister Robert Jenrick said: “Arrests have been made.
“There have been arrests since the beginning of this situation… there have been arrests under terrorist legislation. And we want to do everything that we can to protect British Jews.”
Meanwhile, the UK is working intensively to allow Britons trapped in Gaza to leave but the border crossing remains closed because of Egypt’s legitimate concerns, ministers have said.
An aid convoy of 20 lorries was allowed to cross into Gaza on Saturday with 17 reportedly making the trip on Sunday, but the UK and relief agencies are pushing for far greater access.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Sunak said: “We need to see a stream of trucks rolling through that crossing to bring aid to the civilian population.
We also need to see all water supplies to Gaza restored where physically possible. All sides should commit to the sanctity of UN installations, hospitals and shelters.
“We’re working intensively with international partners to ensure that British nationals currently trapped in Gaza are also able to leave through this crossing while aid enters.”
