Palestine Action smash up TWENTY Barclays Bank branches across UK in latest vandalism campaign

The front of the branch of the bank in Broadmead was destroyed in the overnight action.

A spokesperson for Palestine Action said: "Barclays is funding the crises of climate collapse and genocide in Palestine."

The Palestine Action group said it has recently "partnered" with a group called Shut The System, an "underground climate movement."

A spokesperson from Palestine Action said: "Palestine Action aims to halt the Palestinian genocide by undermining suppliers of weapons to the Israeli military, including Elbit Systems, along with financial companies involved with these weapons suppliers...Shut the System targets banks and insurance companies which enable fossil fuel expansion.

"Both groups have adopted radical direct action tactics which include sabotage of key infrastructure to physically prevent continued support for destructive and lethal business operations.

"Collaboration between the groups is designed to maximise effectiveness."

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A spokesperson for Barclays said: “We provide vital financial services to US, UK and European public companies that supply defence products to Nato and its allies. Barclays does not directly invest in these companies.

"The defence sector is fundamental to our national security and the UK government has been clear that supporting defence companies is compatible with ESG considerations.

"Decisions on the implementation of arms embargos to other nations are the job of respective elected governments.

“While we support the right to protest, we ask that campaigners do so in a way which respects our customers, colleagues and property."

It comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to travel to Egypt and Israel later today to discuss the US's aim to ensure the war does not expand into Lebanon.

Blinken is set to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo before traveling to Israel later, where he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant

Earlier today, Palestinian residents said tanks had been trying to enter deeper towards the north edging Shaboura, one of the most densely populated and militant stronghold neighbourhoods at the heart of Rafah.

Israeli tank forces have since seized Gaza's entire border strip with Egypt running through Rafah to the Mediterranean coast and invaded many districts of the city of 280,000 residents, prompting around one million displaced people who had been sheltering in Rafah to flee elsewhere.

The Hamas attack on October 7 killed 1,200 people and took some 250 others hostage, according to Israeli tallies. In response, Israel launched an assault on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said.