Britain to send Navy ships and spy planes to aid Israel in bid to prevent 'escalation'
A view of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus, docked in Falmouth
PA
The United Kingdom is sending Royal Navy ships and Royal Air Force aircraft to carry out surveillance over Israel, Rishi Sunak has confirmed.
The Prime Minister’s intervention comes after he said Britain stands “side by side” with Israel following Hamas' brutal attack on Saturday.
RAF aircraft will begin patrols in the next 24 hours and two ships will soon travel to the eastern Mediterranean.
RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus have been named as the ships involved in the Royal Navy task group.
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The UK’s 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".
The Prime Minister has even requested for all military teams in Israel, Cyprus and the wider region to be bolstered to support contingency planning.
Sunak said: "[The] deployment of our world-class military will support efforts to ensure regional stability and prevent further escalation."
He added: "We must be unequivocal in making sure the types of horrific scenes we have seen this week will not be repeated.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attending Finchley United Synagogue in central London
PA
"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."
A total of 1,300 Israelis and 1,400 Palestinians have died following the attack and retaliatory strikes.
The Foreign Office is ramping up efforts to get British nationals out of Israel and is encouraging those in Gaza to take heed of the IDF’s evacuation order.
It said: "We advise following the advice issued by the Israeli authorities."
Israeli military vehicles and soldiers from an artillery unit gather near Israel's border REUTERS
A rapid deployment team is also on its way to assist British citizens on the ground.
Sunak will speak to northern European leaders about the situation in Israel at the Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Sweden later today.
The meeting is expected to see leaders discuss working with other countries in the Middle East and maintain support for Ukraine amid Vladimir Putin’s ongoing Russian invasion.
Despite stressing the UK’s support for Israel, Sunak told Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi that Britain will help keep the Rafah crossing out of Gaza open for humanitarian purposes following the IDF’s evacuation order.
The Prime Minister also urged his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to "protect ordinary Palestinians".
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