The escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas has dominated headlines, with various UK papers focusing on its impact. The Sun reports that war heroes have called for pro-Palestinian demonstrations planned on Remembrance weekend to be cancelled, while the Metropolitan Police chief has been urged to ensure services are not “hijacked”. The Daily Telegraph leads with pressure on the Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to ban a march planned for Armistice Day, as some of his own officers warn that protesters could clash with veterans commemorating Remembrance weekend. The Metro focuses on a quote from Home Secretary Suella Braverman, stating that protesters who try to vandalise the Cenotaph next weekend will be jailed. Organisers of a pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for Armistice Day have said they will avoid the Whitehall area where the monument to Britain’s war dead sits.
Meanwhile, the Guardian reported that Israel has intensified its strikes on Gaza, while violence has also flared up on the Lebanon border. The paper quotes the Israel Defense Forces as indicating that its troops are planning to enter Gaza City within 48 hours. The Times suggests that Israel has stepped up its assault on Hamas, with IDF troops encircling Gaza City. Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu has reportedly defied calls from across the Middle East for a ceasefire and has vowed fighting will continue until Hamas frees all hostages. The newspaper also reports that Israel’s neighbour Jordan has said Israel is “losing its humanity”.
The i reports that the UK’s national security council is “not prepared for heightened terror threat” due to the Israel-Gaza conflict. Five serving and ex-intelligence sources, speaking anonymously, say under-resourcing and disruption caused by the repeated changes of prime minister over the last year have left the council “reactionary” to anticipated threats.
In a different story, the Daily Mail follows up on its Sunday edition’s report of an alleged Tory party cover-up for a “serial rapist” MP, noting mounting pressure on Rishi Sunak to investigate the claims. The Mail notes that Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, a former party chairman, did not deny allegations that the Conservative party may have secretly funded medical treatment for a woman who told officials she had been raped by the MP, but said it was not something he had authorised.
Lastly, the Financial Times leads on plans by Rishi Sunak to allow companies to bid for new licences to drill for fossil fuels in the North Sea each year. The scheme, part of Tuesday’s King’s Speech – which outlines the government’s key policies for the year – will allow the Prime Minister to contrast his “pragmatic, proportionate and realistic” approach to achieving net zero by 2050 with Labour’s plans to make Britain a “clean energy superpower
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