Ministers press for opening of Rafah crossing to allow Britons to flee Gaza

Ministers have been pressing for Egypt to open the Rafah crossing to allow Britons to flee Gaza and to reduce the “almost inevitable” impact on civilians of the conflict with Israel.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday that an imminent Israeli military operation must focus on Hamas as he raised concerns about a “regional escalation”.

Defence minister James Heappey warned that combat in Gaza, as Israel is expected to launch an offensive by sea, air and land, is likely to be “horrendous”.

British officials are working with the Egyptian authorities in an effort to facilitate British and dual nationals, as well as their spouses and children, to leave Gaza through the border.

However, expectations in Government for opening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt were understood to be very low on Monday.

Mr Heappey warned it is important to “sound a note of caution that the reports might be more optimistic than reality”.

Mr Sunak acknowledged it is an “anxious time for many families who will have loved ones who are impacted or missing”, with around 10 British hostages being held by Hamas.

Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to a Jewish secondary school in north London, the Prime Minister said: “We’re providing all the consular support through the Foreign Office that we can and also providing direct support to the Israelis.

“And the humanitarian situation is one which of course we’re concerned about, and that I’ve raised in all the calls and interactions I’ve had with other leaders from across the region.

“And in particular making sure that we can try and get the Rafah crossing open, that will ease the humanitarian situation.”

Mr Sunak raised the border crossing in a call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi last week, and it is understood that opening the border for foreign nationals and for Palestinian refugees could be treated separately.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We do think it is important, both in the interests of British nationals and others, but also important for the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”

Meanwhile, Mr Sunak said police are reviewing footage of some “not acceptable” incidents and could make further arrests after more than a dozen people were detained and three were charged with alleged offences at a pro-Palestine march in London over the weekend.

Asked where the line could be drawn between protesting for Palestinians and supporting Hamas, the Prime Minister said the law is “very clear” on glorification of proscribed terror groups, which could result in lengthy jail sentences.

“More broadly, actions that incite violence or stir up religious hatred and racial violence are also not acceptable and that’s why, as I said, there’s no place in our society for that type of hatred and division, and it will be met with the full force of the law where it happens,” he said.

Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said increased security measures will remain in place to protect places of worship.

The mayor’s office said the Metropolitan Police have also stepped up patrols, with a rolling programme of security visits to all synagogues in the capital.

Mr Heappey, the armed forces minister, issued a warning on the impact on civilians of combat in Gaza, which is home to more than two million Palestinians.

“I think you have to be clear that international law allows Israel to prosecute a mission that is legal, proportionate and necessary, and that, I’m afraid, does not necessarily mean that Israel has to be able to guarantee that there will be no civilian loss of life,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

“It is almost inevitable, given the complexity of the mission, that there will be (an) innocent civilian population that is very badly affected. I just don’t think there’s any point pretending otherwise.”

The United Nations and global aid agencies have expressed alarm about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, after Israel ordered civilians to evacuate the north ahead of an imminent attack.

Western diplomats are also concerned that the war between Hamas and Israel could spark a wider conflict in the Middle East.

No 10 has said the Prime Minister will continue to hold talks with international partners in the days to come, as the fighting shows little sign of coming to a swift conclusion.

Mr Sunak is expected to use a statement in the Commons to set out how the UK is supporting Israel and aiding British nationals caught in the fighting, while also detailing ministers’ response to the humanitarian situation inside Gaza.