UK Government Sanctions Two Israeli Ministers Over ‘Extremist’ Gaza Comments

The UK government has sanctioned two Israeli ministers for inciting “extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights”.

Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich will be subject to a travel ban and asset freeze under the measures announced by Britain alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway.

The move has been condemned by the Israeli government, which said it was “outrageous”.

Both men belong to right-wing parties which help to prop up Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition government.

Smotrich has campaigned against allowing aid into Gaza, and also supported the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.

Ben-Gvir has called for Gaza’s people to be resettled from the territory.

In a joint statement with the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, foreign secretary David Lammy said: “We are steadfastly committed to the two-state solution and will continue to work with our partners towards its implementation.

“It is the only way to guarantee security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians and ensure long term stability in the region, but it is imperilled by extremist settler violence and settlement expansion.

“Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.

“We will strive to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of the remaining hostages by Hamas which can have no future role in the governance of Gaza, a surge in aid and a path to a two-state solution.”

A No.10 spokesman said: “These sanctions apply to the individuals in their personal capacities, not their ministries and departments.

“Ben-Gvir and Smotrich do not speak for all Israeli people … and have a long history of dangerous extremist and inflammatory views.

“As the Israeli ambassador to the UK has said in recent interviews, their statements in their ministerial capacities do not even represent government policy.

“Their agenda and actions undermine the interests of Israeli people, including security, many Israelis see this.

“So, today, with our international partners, we have announced measures against those ministers in a personal capacity.”

In a statement, the Israeli government said: “It is outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kind of measures.”

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Rachel Reeves Agrees To Spend £14 Billion On New Nuclear Plant

Rachel Reeves has agreed to spend £14 billion of taxpayers’ money on a nuclear plant at Sizewell C.

The chancellor will announce the move, which is part of her spending review, at the GMB Congress on Tuesday.

It is expected to create 10,000 jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships.

Energy secretary Ed Miliband said the project, which will be the first new nuclear plant to open in the UK since 1995, will help to usher in “a golden age of clean energy abundance”.

Sizewell C was one of eight potential sites for new nuclear plants identified in 2009, when Miliband was last energy secretary.

However, the project was never completed during 14 years of Tory government.

It is expected that the plant will come on stream in the 2030s.

Reeves said the announcement showed that Labour was “investing in Britian’s renewal”.

“We are creating thousands of jobs, kickstarting economic growth and putting more money people’s pockets,” she said.

Miliband said: “We will not accept the status quo of failing to invest in the future and energy insecurity for our country.

“We need new nuclear to deliver a golden age of clean energy abundance, because that is the only way to protect family finances, take back control of our energy, and tackle the climate crisis.

“This is the government’s clean energy mission in action – investing in lower bills and good jobs for energy security.”

The Hinkley Point C nuclear plant, in Somerset, is under construction and is expected to produce enough power for about six million homes when it opens, but that may not be until 2031.

The government is also due to confirm one of Europe’s first small modular reactor programmes and will invest £2.5 billion over five years in fusion energy research as part of plans to boost the UK’s nuclear industry.

GMB regional secretary Warren Kenny said: “Nuclear power is essential for clean, affordable, and reliable energy – without new nuclear, there can be no net zero.

“Sizewell C will provide thousands of good, skilled, unionised jobs and we look forward to working closely with the Government and Sizewell C to help secure a greener future for this country’s energy sector.”

But Alison Downes of the ‘Stop Sizewell C’ group said ministers had not “come clean” about the full cost of the project, which the group have previously estimated could be some £40 billion.

“There still appears to be no final investment decision for Sizewell C, but £14.2 billion in taxpayers’ funding, a decision we condemn and firmly believe the government will come to regret,” she said.

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Zia Yusuf Says Reform Would Deport All Illegal Immigrants – But Nigel Farage Has Said That’s ‘Impossible’

Reform UK’s former chairman has said the party would deport all illegal immigrants, despite Nigel Farage previously saying it was “impossible”.

Zia Yusuf made the pledge in his first broadcast interview since returning to a senior role in the party.

He stunned Westminster by resigning as chairman on Thursday, only to return to the fold 48 hours later. Yusuf is now heading up Reform’s equivalent of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

On Radio 4′s Today programme this morning, he said: “Reform will deport every illegal immigrant in this country.

“I want to be crystal clear about what my position is, and Reform UK’s position is, which is we will deport everybody who is here in this country illegally, which is roughly about 1.2 million people.”

But that put him at odds with Farage, who last year declared that mass deportations could not be done.

Asked by GB News if he supported removing all illegal immigrants, he said: “It’s impossible to do. Literally impossible to do.

“For us, at the moment, it’s a political impossibility.”

Asked if it was his ambition to be able to do it, Farage replied: “No. So it’s pointless even going there.

“It’s a political impossibility, we simply can’t do it.”

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Reform UK Mocked After Zia Yusuf Returns Just 48 Hours After Quitting

Reform UK have been mocked after Zia Yusuf returned to the party fold just 48 hours after quitting as chairman.

He stunned Westminster on Thursday by dramatically quitting after becoming embroiled in a row over whether or not burqas should be banned.

In a post on X, he said: “I no longer believe working to get a Reform government elected is a good use of my time, and hereby resign the office.”

But in an equally-stunning development, Yusuf announced on Saturday evening that he was returning to the party, albeit in a different capacity.

He said in another post on X: “Over the last 24 hours I have received a huge number of lovely and heartfelt messages from people who have expressed their dismay at my resignation, urging me to reconsider.”

Claiming his resignation was “a decision born of exhaustion”, Yusuf added: “I know the mission is too important and I cannot let people down. So, I will be continuing my work with Reform, my commitment redoubled.

“Reform has come a long way since I was appointed chairman, and has moved from ‘startup’ to ‘scaleup’. Given this, and that we have now won power at a local level, I will focus on a new role. I will be running the UK DOGE team to fight for taxpayers, as well as working on party policy and representing it in the media.

“I will continue to give all my time to the most important project of my life, getting a Reform government elected with Nigel as prime minister.”

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Over the last 24 hours I have received a huge number of lovely and heartfelt messages from people who have expressed their dismay at my resignation, urging me to reconsider.

After 11 months of working as a volunteer to build a political party from scratch, with barely a single… pic.twitter.com/gPRjpMGdeS

— Zia Yusuf (@ZiaYusufUK) June 7, 2025

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Over the last 24 hours I have received a huge number of lovely and heartfelt messages from people who have expressed their dismay at my resignation, urging me to reconsider.

After 11 months of working as a volunteer to build a political party from scratch, with barely a single… pic.twitter.com/gPRjpMGdeS

— Zia Yusuf (@ZiaYusufUK) June 7, 2025

But the about-turn was immediately ridiculed by Reform’s political opponents.

Labour chair Ellie Reeves said: “Reform’s revolving door shows that the party is all about one person – Nigel Farage.

“Zia Yusuf’s humiliating hokey-cokey is laughable, but there is nothing funny about Farage’s £80 billion in unfunded commitments.”

A Lib Dem spokesman said: “It looks like Reform are playing musical chairman.”

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