British PM to chair crisis meeting on threats linked to Gaza war
Oct 31, 2023
London [UK], October 31: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is to chair an emergency Cobra meeting amid fears that the conflict between Hamas and Israel could have increased the domestic terror threat in Britain.
Sunak will assemble police and national security officials and Home Secretary SuellaBraverman at his office on Monday morning, sources said.
Education minister Robert Halfon stressed before the meeting that the government has to ensure British citizens are "safe and secure from the threat of terrorism." He declined to say whether the terror threat level might be raised.
It currently stands at "substantial" in England, Wales and Scotland, meaning an attack is likely. It has been at that level since February last year when it was lowered from "severe," meaning an attack is highly likely.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warned on Sunday that terrorism is being "accelerated" by events in the Middle East, as he raised concerns about "state threats from Iran." Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is in Abu Dhabi for talks on getting humanitarian aid into Gaza and allowing civilians, including British nationals, to leave.
He said the United Arab Emirates has had a "thoughtful and authoritative'" voice on aid, as he meets Emirati foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Cleverly warned supplies are "predominantly stuck" in Egypt as allies push for a "humanitarian pause" to allow aid to reach the Gaza Strip, which is home to more than 2 million people.
"It's trickling through, but we need a significant increase in the volume," he told broadcasters in the UAE.
Source: Qatar Tribune
