UK sending navy ships and spy planes to support Israel and prevent ‘further escalation’

Published

2 years ago

October 12, 2023

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The UK will send RAF aircraft and Royal Navy ships to carry out surveillance over Israel in a show of support following the Hamas incursion over the weekend.

RAF aircraft will begin patrols in the next 24 hours while two ships will be sent to the eastern Mediterranean.

A Royal Navy task group will be moved to the eastern Mediterranean next week and will include two ships – RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus.

The military package will also see P8 aircraft, surveillance assets, three merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines put on standby “to deliver practical support to Israel and partners in the region, and offer deterrence and assurance”.

Israel ‘strikes Syrian airports’; 447 children killed in Gaza – Israel-Gaza latest

The prime minister has also asked for all military teams in Israel, Cyprus and those across the region to be bolstered to support contingency planning and the efforts of neighbouring countries to deal with the impact of instability in Israel.

Rishi Sunak said the “deployment of our world-class military will support efforts to ensure regional stability and prevent further escalation”.

“We must be unequivocal in making sure the types of horrific scenes we have seen this week will not be repeated,” he added.

“Our military and diplomatic teams across the region will also support international partners to re-establish security and ensure humanitarian aid reaches the thousands of innocent victims of this barbaric attack from Hamas terrorists.”

The military support is just the latest provided by the UK in the wake of the surprise attack by Hamas on Saturday.

Analysis: PM has limited options

To date,1,300 Israelis have died while 1,417 Palestinians, including 447 children, have been killed in retaliatory strikes in Gaza – where electricity, water and fuel has been cut off.

Israel has said it will keep blocking supplies until Hamas releases nearly 100 hostages.

The Foreign Office said flights have been organised to get British nationals out of Israel, with the first plane for “vulnerable” people expected to depart today.

PM has limited options when it comes to demonstrating military power

Deborah Haynes

Security and Defence Editor

@haynesdeborah

A decision by the UK to mobilise spy planes and support ships to the eastern Mediterranean is a solid show of solidarity with Israel – but not a demonstration of potent military strength.

The US deployed a huge aircraft carrier, bristling with fighter jets and flanked by a task group of heavily armed warships in the wake of last weekend’s atrocities by Hamas.

The problem for Rishi Sunak is that a massively reduced Royal Navy and Royal Air Force following decades of cost-saving cuts means his options when it comes to projecting power are pretty limited.

Read the full analysis here

A rapid deployment team is also on its way to assist British citizens on the ground.

At home, the government also announced it would provide an extra £3m in funding to increase the number of guards at Jewish schools following reports that some had been forced to close over fears of the safety of pupils.

One Jewish charity, the Community Security Trust (CST), said it had seen a 324% increase in reports of antisemitism as a result over the last four days, including six assaults, 14 direct threats, three instances of vandalism, and 66 cases of abusive behaviour.

Mr Sunak is due to speak to northern European leaders about the situation in Israel at the Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Sweden on Friday.

They are expected to discuss the need to work with countries in the Middle East to support stability while also maintaining support for Ukraine from Russian aggression.

Politics

Kraken co-CEO warns UK rules meant to protect users now punish them: FT

Published

2 hours ago

November 12, 2025

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Kraken co-CEO warns UK rules meant to protect users now punish them: FT

Arjun Sethi, the co-CEO of major crypto exchange Kraken, criticized the United Kingdom’s crypto regulations, which he believes hinder services for their customers.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Sethi said that “in the UK today, if you go to any crypto website, including Kraken’s, you see the equivalent to a cigarette box.” He suggested that the disclaimers have a significant impact on customer experience.

Sethi suggested that disclosures slow users down and that, because of the importance of speed in crypto trading, “it’s worse for customers.” He concluded that “disclosures are important […] but if there are 14 steps, it’s worse.”

The UK Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) updated financial promotion regime came into force in October 2023. It introduced a “cooling-off” period for first-time crypto investors and requires firms to assess whether users have sufficient knowledge and experience before trading.

Sethi said that the rules may prompt customers to avoid investing in crypto altogether, potentially leading to missed potential gains. The FCA defended the rules, noting that “some consumers may make an informed decision that investing in crypto is not right for them — that is our rules working as intended.”

Kraken, UK Government, Cryptocurrency Exchange, United Kingdom — Example of disclaimer from the Kraken website. Source: Kraken

The UK is slowly opening to crypto

Despite frustrations with the FCA, the UK appears to be moving toward a broader alignment with the United States on digital-asset oversight.

Lisa Cameron, a former United Kingdom Member of Parliament and founder of the UK-US Crypto Alliance, said she believes a joint “sandbox” between the UK and the US is in development to align their crypto markets.

She came to this conclusion after discussion with US Senators and regulators and expects the sandbox’s purpose to be to “iron out some of this in terms of passporting” for crypto licenses between the UK and the US.

On Monday, the Bank of England published a consultation paper proposing a regulatory framework for stablecoins. The new legislation is focused on sterling-denominated “systemic stablecoins” widely used in payments, similar to the US’s GENIUS Act.

UK looks to the US for an example on crypto

A crypto collaboration between the UK and the US is not a new phenomenon. September reports noted that treasury authorities in the US and UK created a transatlantic task force to explore “short-to-medium term collaboration on digital assets.” Also in September, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed how the two nations could strengthen their coordination on crypto.

September also saw UK trade groups urge the UK government to include blockchain technology in a technology collaboration with the US program known as “Tech Bridge.” A joint letter by the organization warned that “excluding digital assets from the UK-US Tech Bridge would be a missed opportunity,” and that it “risks leaving Britain on the sidelines.”

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