Is Gaza crisis raising the risk of terrorism in Britain? Rishi Sunak to meet top police and security officials in Downing Street today to discuss UK threat level

• It has been set at ‘substantial’ – meaning ‘an attack is likely’ – since February 

Ministers, police and security services will meet in Downing Street amid fears that anger over Israel’s bloody assault on Gaza could raise the risk of terrorism in Britain. 

Rishi Sunak will host a Cobra meeting in No10 with Home Secretary Suella Braverman to consider whether the UK threat level needs to be raised.

It has been set at ‘substantial’ – meaning ‘an attack is likely’ – since February last year, when it was lowered from ‘severe’, meaning the threat is highly likely.

But police have raised the alarm in recent days that the fallout from the fighting in the Middle East could land in Britain.

At the weekend the Metropolitan Police warned that Iranian agents might be trying to weaponsise pro-Palestinian demonstrations being held in London and other major cities.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest against Israel’s reprisals for the Hamas terror attack on October 7 which claimed more than 1,200 lives.

Rishi Sunak will host a Cobra meeting in No10 with Home Secretary Suella Braverman to consider whether the UK threat level needs to be raised.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest against Israel’s reprisals for the Hamas terror attack on October 7 which claimed more than 1,200 lives.

Education minister Robert Halfon stressed before the meeting that the Government has to ensure British citizens are ‘safe and secure from the threat of terrorism’. He declined to say whether the terror threat level might be raised.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on the weekend urged pro-Palestine supporters to be ‘conscious of disinformation and manipulation’ following reports Iran is attempting to use the rallies to sow division. 

Mr Sunak used conversations with European leaders on Sunday to stress the importance of helping foreign nationals escape Gaza as the fighting between Hamas and Israel intensified.

The Prime Minister and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte discussed ‘efforts to support British and Dutch nationals in Gaza’, while he also spoke about efforts to ‘get foreign nationals out’ with French President Emmanuel Macron, Downing Street said.

Mr Sunak and Mr Rutte also ‘shared their serious concern at the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza’, according to a readout of the phone call from No 10.

The UK Government is calling for a pause in the fighting to allow for aid to reach suffering Gazans but has stopped short of pushing for a ceasefire despite the United Nations consistently urging for hostilities to cease.

Nearly three dozen lorries entered Gaza on Sunday in the largest aid convoy since the war between Israel and Hamas started more than three weeks ago.

But humanitarian workers said the assistance still fell desperately short of what was needed after thousands of people broke into warehouses to take flour and basic hygiene products.

The fighting between Tel Aviv and Hamas intensified over the weekend.

The Israeli military said on Sunday it had struck more than 450 militant targets over the past 24 hours, including Hamas command centres and anti-tank missile launching positions.

It said ground forces killed a number of Hamas militants as they exited one of their extensive network of Gaza tunnels near the Erez crossing, which was the sole pedestrian passageway into Israel before it was destroyed in the fighting.

The Hamas military wing said its militants clashed with Israeli troops who entered the northwest Gaza Strip with small arms and anti-tank missiles.

Palestinian militants have continued firing rockets into Israel.

The death toll among Palestinians has passed 8,000, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

In the UK, thousands of protesters voiced their support for a ceasefire by joining pro-Palestinian demonstrations in cities such as London, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow.

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