Activists from the group painted “Gaza is not for sale” and dug up parts of the green at Mr Trump’s golf course in Scotland in March 2025, with the president writing on social media that the prime minister had assured him that “they caught the terrorists” involved.
The group was proscribed as a terror organisation in an unusual move four months later, after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and sprayed two military planes with red paint.
(June 2, 2025)
The Reform UK leader has previously spoken in favour of US president Donald Trump’s plans for the ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip, which Israel’s government is looking to move forward.
Writing for GB News last year after Labour suspended around 10% of the UK’s weapon export licences to Israel amid fears the nation was breaching international law, Farage said: “I feel all over the world that Israel is running out of friends. And I wonder right now, is Israel still really an ally of this country?”
Lawmakers are also perplexed by the timing of the briefing. After an unsteady first 16 months in office left Starmer one of the most unpopular British prime ministers on record, Labour MPs had previously signaled that the prime minister would not face a serious leadership contest until after local elections in May 2026, giving his government time to reverse its decline in the polls.
Now we must deliver lasting peace and a secure future for the whole region.
The UK is providing additional humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza, and we will lead efforts to accelerate its reconstruction.
We welcome the agreement on a ceasefire in the Middle East, the planned release of hostages, and the resumption of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza.
We pay tribute to President Trump’s leadership on the issue, to the diplomatic efforts of the mediators, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye, and to the vital support from the wider region to secure the agreement. It is now of utmost importance that all parties implement their obligations in full and without delay. We stand ready to support further talks on the next stages of the plan and to contribute to it.
As part of this effort, we agree that the UN Security Council should give its full backing to the plan and support its implementation.
We commit to supporting substantive humanitarian aid packages through UN agencies to be delivered as soon as the ceasefire enters into effect.
The families of British and American Global Sumud Flotilla activists illegally detained by Israel have told Middle East Eye that the US and UK governments have failed to properly represent their citizens.
Clare Azzougarh, the daughter of Malcolm Ducker, a 72-year-old British air force veteran who captained a boat on the flotilla and is being held in Ketziot prison, said her family feels “immensely let down by the British government in so many ways”.
Laura Adler, the sister of David Adler, a Jewish-American member of the flotilla and co-general coordinator of the Progressive International, told MEE the response of the US government had made her realise that “not everyone is deemed to be equally American”.
“I didn’t realise how non-responsive and passive the US government would be,” Laura Adler said.
Police arrested nearly 500 more pro-Palestine demonstrators on Saturday—including many Jewish activists—who participated in a protest calling for the government to “Lift the Ban” on the protest group Palestine Action, which was outlawed under Britain’s anti-terrorism law in July.
Those arrested included an 83-year-old Anglican priest, the 79-year-old daughter of a Holocaust survivor, and a 79-year-old Jewish man with terminal illness, among hundreds of others who held signs in opposition to the ban as part of a “silent vigil.”
(…=
“The right to protest is a fundamental freedom in our country. However, this freedom must be balanced with the freedom of their neighbours to live their lives without fear,” said Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. “Large, repeated protests can leave sections of our country, particularly religious communities, feeling unsafe, intimidated, and scared to leave their homes. This has been particularly evident in relation to the considerable fear within the Jewish community, which has been expressed to me on many occasions in these recent difficult days.”
In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East…
We are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a Two State Solution.
That means a safe and secure Israel…
Alongside a viable Palestinian State –
At the moment, we have neither.
Ordinary people – Israeli and Palestinian…
Deserve to live in peace –
To try to rebuild their lives…
Free from violence and suffering.
That’s what the British people desperately want to see.
The UK, Canada, and Australia have officially announced their recognition of a Palestinian state.
The historic move comes ahead of the UN General Assembly session in New York, which will begin on Monday.
France is expected to imminently follow suit.
Starmer, who is under pressure from some in his Labour Party to take a harder line against Israel, had said Britain would recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly next week unless Israel took substantive steps to alleviate the situation in Gaza.
More than 60 parliamentarians have written to the prime minister expressing their grave concern at reports that the Labour Party government is to welcome Israeli President Isaac Herzog on a visit to London from Tuesday 9 September.
In the letter, they stated that the UK, as a state party to the 1948 Genocide Convention, has a binding responsibility not only to refrain from committing genocide itself, but:
also to take active steps to prevent and punish genocide and incitement to it wherever it occurs. This obligation includes ensuring that individuals credibly implicated in the commission or incitement of such crimes are not afforded political legitimacy or hospitality by our government.
(September 6, 2025)
– David Lammy has moved from his post as foreign secretary to replace Angela Rayner as deputy prime minister. He has also been appointed justice secretary
– Taking Lammy‘s place at the top of the foreign office is Yvette Cooper, who was previously the home secretary
– Filling Cooper‘s old job as home secretary is Shabana Mahmood, who was previously justice secretary
(September 8, 2025)
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas Monday in London, as the UK government edges towards recognising a Palestinian state.
(September 8, 2025)
Abbas welcomed the UK‘s „pledge to recognising a Palestinian state ahead of the UN General Assembly meeting later this month, unless Israel changes its course“, the spokesperson added.
Campaign group Defend Our Juries said five of its spokespeople were arrested as it prepared to announce further mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action.
The organisation said more than 1,000 people are set to take action on September 6 in Parliament Square, holding signs saying “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action”.
This follows a number of demonstrations over the summer that have seen more than 700 people arrested and 114 charged.
France, Germany, and the UK (E3) have announced they will trigger snapback sanctions on Iran at the United Nations. This will launch a 30-day process that will likely culminate in the full reinstatement of all U.N. sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal. The move will carry four major consequences.
First, the U.N. Security Council will formally adopt the demand — pushed by Israel — that Iran cease all uranium enrichment. Israel designed this demand to sabotage nuclear diplomacy and edge the conflict toward war….
(August 27, 2025)
As the descendant of a Jewish family from Poland, the words “never again” have significant meaning for me. In the aftermath of the Second World War, humankind vowed to never again allow such atrocities to occur. The Holocaust, the mass extermination of the Jewish people, plumbed the very depths of tyrannical evil. Precisely because of this heritage, I view “never again” as a universal imperative.
In 1948, the international community adopted the universal declaration of human rights and the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide. In the decades since, we have failed globally many times to safeguard this invaluable truth: that people must not perish in flames, and such heinous crimes must not be perpetrated while outsiders stand idly by. But never in recent times have people around the world started into the abyss of annihilation as we are doing today in Gaza. As such, “never again” is not merely a moral reminder but an ethical decree to act.
Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, as the saying goes. It seems that Netanyahu manages to fool western leaders time and time again. On Friday, in response to the IPC declaration of famine, the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, said it was an “utterly horrifying and wholly preventable man-made catastrophe”. May I ask Lammy and the rest of the British cabinet – are you among the people responsible for this catastrophe?
Albanese‘s involvement was confirmed by Corbyn during an appearance by the veteran politician at a fringe event at the Edinburgh festival on Saturday.
The UN special rapporteur will be asked for comment on the use of RAF bases in Cyprus to help Israel‘s military.
Set to take place in September, the tribunal follows Corbyn‘s unsuccessful attempts to pass legislation in parliament for an independent public tribunal.
Those attempts were blocked by the ruling Labour party.
We add our voices to those already demanding the following actions:
1. The full and unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, at scale, and with urgency, by qualified aid agencies.
2. The cessation of all UK arms transfers — including parts — to Israel in line with the UK’s legal obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty (which prohibits transfers where they could be ‘used to commit acts of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes’).
3. The introduction of targeted sanctions against all individuals and entities credibly accused of violating international law, including war crimes.
4. Support for international legal mechanisms, including investigations by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC), and full UK diplomatic support to secure the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
As business leaders, we also call on the UK Government to:
– Suspend ALL export licences for goods that could be directly or indirectly implicated in military operations in Gaza – without exception.
– Partial measures are not enough to prevent UK complicity in breaches of international law.
– Broaden financial sanctions and investment screening to stop UK financing of companies complicit in violations of international law.
– Current efforts must go further to close gaps in enforcement.
– Enforce the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights across all UK-linked supply chains and financial systems.
The UK must ensure that no business – whether through products, services, or supply chains – is contributing to these atrocities, directly or indirectly.
(August 18, 2025)
Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to recall Parliament to “impose immediate sanctions” on Israel in a joint letter signed by politicians in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The letter urges the Prime Minister to “act now” to exert pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza.
It has been signed by Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Alliance Party leader Naomi Long, SDLP leader Claire Hanna, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn and the convener of the party’s Holyrood group Stuart McMillan.
(August 19, 2025)
Parties joining in the SDLP-led letter include Sinn Féin, Alliance, the SNP, Plaid Cymru, the Green Party and People Before Profit.
The letter calls for Parliament to be recalled as well as urgent diplomatic intervention and an end to arms sales to Israel.
It is understood Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will respond to the letter in due course.
On Sunday, it was disclosed they will be joined by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
(August 11, 2025)
Macron’s words align with a communique which was co-signed by Britain and a series of other countries across Europe, the Middle East, and the rest of the world at a special UN conference last month organised by France and Saudi Arabia.
The document said that the nations “supported the deployment of a temporary international stabilisation mission” under “the aegis of the United Nations”, noting “the readiness expressed by some member states to contribute in troops”.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer‘s statement on the Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza.
The Israeli Government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately. This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed.
Every day the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and hostages taken by Hamas are being held in appalling and inhuman conditions. What we need is a ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages by Hamas and a negotiated solution. Hamas can play no part in the future of Gaza and must leave as well as disarm.
Together with our allies, we are working on a long-term plan to secure peace in the region as part of a two-state solution, and ultimately achieve a brighter future for Palestinians and Israelis.
But without both sides engaging in good faith in negotiations, that prospect is vanishing before our eyes. Our message is clear: a diplomatic solution is possible, but both parties must step away from the path of destruction.
Our goal remains a safe and secure Israel, alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. But right now – that goal is under pressure like never before.
I’ve always said we will recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process, at the moment of maximum impact for the Two State Solution.
With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act.
So today – as part of this process towards peace I can confirm the UK will recognise the state of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a Two State Solution.
Keir Starmer says the UK will recognise a Palestinian state at a UN meeting in September unless Israel meets certain conditions
He says the recognition will happen unless the Israeli government takes „substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza“, including a ceasefire and a commitment to a long-term peace process
Israel is conditioning aid delivery to force Gazans south into ‘concentration zones.’ This scheme has begun to stall, but that only portends greater brutality.
(June 13, 2025)
Britain has “grave concerns” over Iran’s nuclear program and believes Israel has the right to self-defense, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, Starmer’s spokesperson says.
“The prime minister was clear that Israel has a right to self-defense and set out the UK’s grave concerns about Iran’s nuclear program,” the spokesperson says in a statement after Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran earlier on Friday.
The news came in response to a written question at Westminster, put in by Labour MP for York Central Rachael Maskell. (…)
Pollard said: “As part of routine defence engagement with Israel, the UK is currently training a limited number of Israel Defense Forces personnel on UK-based training courses.”
The news comes despite the Labour Government sanctioning two Israeli ministers – Itamar Ben-Gvir, the security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister.
The UK Government has also continued to send military equipment to Israel, and has declined to block exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets despite evidence that they have been used in Gaza.
(today)
President Emmanuel Macron had described the move as “a moral duty and political requirement”, suggesting it could come in return for Saudi Arabia recognising Israel at the conference.
However, The Guardian has reported that French officials briefed their Israeli counterparts this week that the conference would not be the moment for recognition.
(June 3, 2025)
If France and the UK were to carry out this recognition, they would become the first G7 nations to take this step, causing a „political earthquake“ according to observers, given their historical ties with Israel. The Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer threatened last week to annex parts of the West Bank if this recognition took place, according to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
After more than 600 days of escalating genocidal violence, we are appalled by the UK government’s failure to act to protect the Palestinian people. Furthermore, we are horrified by the UK government’s active and continued military, political and economic support to the Israeli regime. All of this despite the ICJ’s January 2024 ruling that determined Israel is plausibly committing genocide, and the subsequent November 2024 announcement of ICC arrest warrants for leading Israeli politicians accused of war crimes.
Your failure to act decisively in the face of ongoing atrocities renders the UK government legally and morally complicit in each and every act of violence, manufactured deprivation, and targeted destruction that Israel continues to commit against the Palestinian people.
We join the thousands of healthcare and humanitarian workers across the UK who have spoken out against the imposition of the conditions of occupation, apartheid and genocide by the Israeli regime in Palestine.