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Britons are “highly likely” to be among those held by Hamas in Gaza, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has told Sky News.

The cabinet minister revealed the UK had also sent additional intelligence personnel to the region as part of efforts to release those captured or assist citizens trapped in the besieged enclave.

His comments came just before Hamas claimed Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip had killed 13 hostages, including foreigners, held by the group.

The UK is sending RAF aircraft and Royal Navy ships to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel and “send a signal” to the wider region in the wake of the surprise attack by militants on Saturday, which has unleashed a conflict that has already claimed at least 2,700 lives.

Pressed over whether UK citizens were among those kidnapped by insurgents and held in Gaza, Mr Shapps said: “It seems very likely that there are. We don’t have exact data on that for obvious reasons.

“But within Gaza, there will also be Brits, or possibly people with dual nationalities as well.

“The prime minister has spoken to the Egyptian president about using that border to get people out.

“The situation is far from clear.

“It’s one of the reasons, as I mentioned before, we’ve sent additional personnel, intelligence personnel, in order to assist with exactly those types of operations.”

Mr Shapps added: “It is highly likely – no one will know for sure – that there are… either British nationals or people with a joint nationality involved in the hostage situation that has been reported previously.”

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Gaza hospitals ‘risk turning into morgues’

Shapps defends ‘substantial’ UK support

To date, at least 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 have been cut off.

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.

The military force being deployed by the UK to the region includes P8 surveillance aircraft, two Royal Navy ships – Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels Lyme Bay and Argus – three Merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines.

Critics have highlighted the UK force will be a token gesture compared to the support provided by the US.

But Mr Shapps said: “We do in fact have warships in the region if we needed to, but we don’t want to escalate the situation.

“What we want to do is assist and by working with our friends and allies.

“That is exactly what this is intended to do.

“We are also… thickening or bolstering our intelligence gathering with people on the ground throughout the region as well.

“So our input is actually quite substantial and working in hand-in-glove with our allies and particularly the Americans in this case.”

He went on: “It’s intelligence, surveillance and really a signal to the wider region and perhaps those actors who might now try to exploit this terrorist, Hamas situation.”

Read more on this story:
Why Israel is braced for Hezbollah attack
How negotiators will be working to free Hamas hostages

Gaza ground offensive will be ‘high-risk’ for Israel

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Sky News visits site of music festival massacre

‘Israel is doing all it can to warn people’

Mr Shapps also insisted Israel had the right to defend itself when questioned over the evacuation order for more than a million Palestinians to move to the south of Gaza in the next 24 hours, in the face of a possible ground offensive.

He said: “Israel, unlike Hamas – who again, and I saw this at NATO where we had a full briefing on what happened, including seeing some very distressing video of Hamas beheading people, murdering people, showing off the bodies and dragging them through the street, raping people – unlike that terrorist organisation, Israel is doing all it can to provide advance notice and warning in order that they can go after those terrorists who carried out those actions, and by the way have taken hostages as well.

“Hamas can bring all of this to an end, they can release the hostages, they can recognise not just Israel, [but also] remove from their founding charter the principle of eradicating all Jews from the Earth.”

He added: “Israel on the other hand has the perfect right to defend itself. It is doing that in a manner which is giving people warning in advance when they are going to go after areas.”

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

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Humza Yousaf: Scotland’s first minister claims Holyrood election could be called – as vote of no confidence looms

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Humza Yousaf: Scotland's first minister claims Holyrood election could be called - as vote of no confidence looms

Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf claims a Holyrood election could be called as he refuses to say if he will resign if he loses a looming vote of no confidence.

Speaking exclusively to Sky News in Fife on Saturday, the SNP leader said it was “really disappointing” to learn the Greens will refuse to enter further talks to change their minds on voting against him in a ballot which could prove fatal for his leadership.

Mr Yousaf has today written to all the opposition parties, including Alex Salmond’s Alba party, at Holyrood urging them to rethink their plot to oust him.

Humza Yousaf
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Humza Yousaf

The SNP leader said on Saturday that he was leaving it to his rivals to determine his fate.

A Green Party source said the only letter they will accept from the first minister is his resignation.

Mr Yousaf told Sky News: “Well let me say again, that would be really disappointing if that is the Greens’ position.

“As I say, I’ve reached out to them, they are saying publicly that they’re going to support a Conservative motion against independence, first minister and independence government.

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“That would be, I think, a poor choice to make.”

Asked if there might be a Scottish election if he doesn’t win the vote, Mr Yousaf replied: “Can’t rule it out.”

Ash Regan. Pic: PA
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Ash Regan. Pic: PA

The casting vote now looks likely to be Alba MSP Ash Regan who sensationally defected from the SNP in the wake of her defeat in the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon last year.

Sky News understands Alba is holding an emergency meeting this weekend to determine how it will cast the key vote.

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Yousaf to ‘fight’ no confidence vote

When asked how SNP members would feel about being “propped up” by Mr Salmond, Mr Yousaf said: “Let me make it really, really clear, I’ll be sending out to anybody I meet with, whoever comes round that table, that these are the priorities of the SNP minority government.

“This is what we’ll be pursuing, this is what we’ll be pushing. It’ll then be up to be it Ash Regan, be it Lorna Slater, be it Patrick Harvie or any of them, to decide what button they push when it comes to the vote of no confidence.”

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How did we get here – and what happens next?

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The first minister was asked twice whether he would resign if he failed to win the confidence of parliament.

He responded: “Again, I’m not planning to lose the vote of no confidence, I’m planning to win that vote of no confidence.”

Asked if his position would be untenable, he said “Planning to win.”

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Jewish campaign group cancels walk over safety fears as Met Police chief defends policing of pro-Palestinian march

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Jewish campaign group cancels walk over safety fears as Met Police chief defends policing of pro-Palestinian march

A Jewish campaign group has cancelled today’s Walk Together demonstration amid safety concerns, as the Met Police says the risk of disorder from a pro-Palestinian march is not high enough to seek a ban.

Thousands had been expected to attend the event in central London as part of the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) event, which would have coincided with today’s pro-Palestinian march.

The CAA said it cancelled the event, where people would have walked “where they please”, after receiving “numerous threats” and identifying “hostile actors (who) seem to have intended to come to any meeting locations that we announced”.

It added: “The risk to the safety of those who wished to walk openly as Jews in London… as part of this initiative has therefore become too great.

“We are no less angry about these marches than our Jewish community and its allies. We want to walk.”

The CAA said it had suggested “concrete measures” to government aimed at changing how the pro-Palestinian protests are policed.

Palestine protest london gaza
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Thousands turn up every week to pro-Palestine protests in central London

It highlighted concerns over antisemitic chants, inflammatory placards, and instances of glorifying terrorism, as well as incidents of violence, including attacks on police officers.

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“Police have told us that they intend to handle the march no differently from the passive way that they have become accustomed to over the course of more than six months,” the group added.

But the Met’s assistant commissioner, Matt Twist, said the force aimed to police “without fear or favour”, adding that the impact of the weekly pro-Palestinian protests was “felt widely” but had been a “particular cause of fear and uncertainty in Jewish communities”.

Mr Twist added that pro-Palestinian protests had “never” reached the threshold where it was a “risk of serious public disorder”.

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Extended video of ‘openly Jewish’ row

He said: “The only legal route to ban a march is if there is a risk of serious public disorder – that is rioting or serious violence that could not be dealt with by other restrictions or conditions.

“We have never got close to that threshold on these Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) marches to date.”

The CAA had announced its Walk Together after its chief executive, Gideon Falter, was prevented from crossing a road near a pro-Palestinian protest by a police officer last week because he was “openly Jewish”.

Protesters during a pro-Palestine march organised by Palestine Solidarity Campaign in central London. Picture date: Saturday October 28, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Israel. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire
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The protests began in October last year. Pic: PA

Footage showed a tense, lengthy stand-off between police and Mr Falter as one Met officer described his presence as “antagonising”.

The campaigner then spoke to another officer who said if he remained in the area, he would be arrested.

After the incident, Mr Falter was critical of the Met and said there were “no-go zones for Jews”, while Scotland Yard apologised twice for the officer’s choice of words.

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Standoff between protesters in London

The PSC protest today, which organisers claim could attract “hundreds of thousands” of protesters, will take place on a pre-agreed route.

Simultaneously, a separate demonstration arranged by the pro-Israel Enough is Enough group will go ahead following a route parallel to the PSC march.

Read more from Sky News:
Once again a Met Police commissioner is stuck in the middle of policing and politics. So what happens now?
Met Police apologise to Stephen Lawrence’s mother for breaking promise

The Met Police said 450 arrests have been made since the pro-Palestinian marches began, with 193 of those being for antisemitic offences, the majority involving placards, chanting or expressions of hate speech.

The cost of policing the protests stands at approximately £38.5m, the Met added.

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King Charles’s return to public outings marks significant moment, but uncertainty remains

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King Charles's return to public outings marks significant moment, but uncertainty remains

After a difficult few months we have a more positive picture from the Palace.

A personal moment of the King and Queen released with the news he can now return to public duties.

It’s the details he will be delighted to share.

Not only are his medics “encouraged” with his progress, and “positive” about his recovery, they’re also happy he can get back to work.

And for a man who is widely reported to be a workaholic, this will be wholly welcome.

This was not how he’d imagined the first year after his coronation.

Read more:
Prince Harry breaks silence on King’s cancer diagnosis
Back to public duties but Prince William is likely being cautious

King Charles III and Queen Camilla, taken by portrait photographer Millie Pilkington, in Buckingham Palace Gardens on April 10
Pic:  Millie Pilkington/Buckingham Palace/PA
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Pic: Millie Pilkington/Buckingham Palace/PA

He knows from his late mother’s mantra, a monarch has to be seen to be believed.

But his cancer diagnosis changed everything.

The royal year so meticulously mapped out was put on pause with unprecedented and huge uncertainty.

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Queen thanks young Kate well wishers

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The King’s constitutional work has continued, but the public outings were stopped.

His family has stepped up to support him, and protocols were in place should the need arise.

But it has been an incredibly challenging time for the House of Windsor.

News of the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis a double blow for the family.

Handout photo provided by Kensington Palace of the Princess of Wales recording her message announcing that following her abdominal surgery in January "tests after the operation found cancer had been present." Issue date: Friday March 22, 2024.
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Kate, the Princess of Wales, is also undergoing treatment for cancer. Pic: Kensington Palace

There remains a lot of uncertainty; the King won’t return to full duties, and his engagements will be adapted to reduce the risk while he recovers. There’s also no confirmation yet about the big set piece events like Trooping the Colour or an overseas state visit.

But this is a significant moment. And the King’s return to public work will start with a personally poignant visit, as he and the Queen meet patients and staff at a cancer treatment centre.

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