The UK is sending two Royal Navy ships and surveillance planes to the eastern Mediterranean to make security stronger, according to the government.
It has been six days since Hamas attacked Israel unexpectedly, and there has been a lot of violence since then.
The airplane will start looking for potential dangers to the area’s safety starting from Friday. This includes keeping an eye out for any illegal movement of weapons to terrorist organizations.
Three Merlin helicopters and Royal Marines are also being sent out.
Rishi Sunak talked to Israel’s leader on Thursday to confirm that the UK still stands by their side.
Downing Street said that he called Benjamin Netanyahu to show his strong support for Israel after Hamas committed a terrible terrorist attack.
Number 10 said that they will send soldiers to help increase security in the nearby area soon. They also repeated that the UK supports Israel in fighting against terrorism.
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps stated that these vessels are not warships, but rather ships that can help with hospital facilities.
He said that sending the boats was also meant to stop others from getting involved in the area and to criticize outside influence.
When someone asked about how Israel is reacting to the attacks, the defense secretary said that Israel has the right to protect itself. He also explained that, unlike Hamas, Israel is giving warnings beforehand that it will go after Hamas terrorists, which is the correct action to take.
Mr Sunak talked to Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi about opening the Rafah crossing in Gaza. This is important because it will allow for humanitarian aid to reach the area and will also provide a way for British and other citizens to leave.
The prime minister wants to strengthen the military teams in Israel, Cyprus, and other places in the region, in order to help with planning for unexpected situations.
He said that the UK’s military and diplomatic teams in the area will help other countries in making sure things are safe and that help gets to the many innocent people affected by a cruel attack done by Hamas terrorists.
Hamas did a really big attack in southern Israel on Saturday. They killed at least 1,300 people and took about 150 hostages to Gaza.
Over 1,300 people have died in Gaza because of Israel’s air strikes in response.
The Foreign Office is helping British people stuck in Israel fly back home. The first plane was supposed to depart from Tel Aviv on Thursday. More planes are also scheduled to leave in the near future, but this depends on security conditions.
Tag: Royal Navy
-
UK to send ships from its Royal Navy to eastern Mediterranean to ‘bolster security’
-
British rugby player discovered dead in France on rocks
A rugby player from the British armed forces was discovered dead on a rocky part of the French coastline.
A man was found in Dinard, a seaside resort in northern Brittany. He had been reported missing and was discovered on Tuesday.
He died sadly when the UK was participating in the World Defence Rugby competition in France.
Investigators think that the man may have died because he fell by accident, according to local prosecutor Fabrice Tremel.
Two coaches from the team have said that they recognized his body.
We have learned that the man was in the Royal Navy.
Mr Tremel shared with a news outlet called Ouest France that at the same time the body was found, the English rugby military team reported to the police station in Saint-Malo about one of their players who went missing.The coaches have recognized the body.
A closer examination of the player’s body will be done on Wednesday to find out exactly how they died.
The police found the player on the rocks at Port Nican, which is near the tip of Avenue de la Vicomte.
The British team is currently staying in Dinard and they have been practicing in the nearby town of Saint-Malo.
They will be playing against Fiji in the semi-final on Sunday at the Commandant Bougouin Stadium in Rennes, after winning against Spain with a score of 128-3, which is the best score in the team’s history.
The government department responsible for protecting the country has been asked for a response.
Earlier this year, a soldier from Britain died by drowning after accidentally falling into a river in Estonia. This happened while he was walking back to his home after spending time with his friends during the night. -
Head of the Royal Navy defends handling of rape allegations
The head of the Royal Navy has defended the way the service handles allegations of rape and sexual abuse.
Adm Sir Ben Key told BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House the Navy had changed how it investigates complaints.
The First Sea Lord insisted independent investigations would be slower and “lead to less good outcomes”.
The Navy has launched an inquiry following allegations made last month of bullying and sexual harassment against women in the Submarine Service.
Earlier this month, a woman – known as ‘Catherine’ – told Woman’s Hour she had been raped and fallen pregnant while serving at sea.
She told the programme she did not report the rape at the time because she was worried about being labelled a troublemaker: “There is no complaints system that is completely separate to the people that are serving.”
Catherine said her rape was the most serious incident, but that she was also sexually assaulted and regularly experienced harassment.
Speaking to Broadcasting House on Sunday, Adm Sir Ben described Catherine’s testimony as “heart-breaking”, calling her treatment “abhorrent”.
“It is absolutely true that for a long time, our investigation processes were too closely aligned with the chain of command, which could then on occasion be seen as presenting a conflict,” he said.
“We have changed it now so that anyone who wishes to raise a formal complaint, the admissibility and the handling of that complaint is immediately taken away from the unit they’re serving in and assessed at the headquarters, and will then be independently investigated.”
But Adm Sir Ben said those examining allegations of abuse or rape on board a Navy vessel needed to understand how life at sea works and consider “the context” in which the alleged offences took place.
He suggested the best place to examine the complaints was from inside the service, so lessons could be learned going forward.
“I know that there are a number of people claiming at the moment that when they talk about independent investigation, that should be completely outside of the Navy altogether,” he said.“But one of my challenges, or concerns, about that is that, actually, that’s just going to add time – and one of the things we really need to do is to investigate these things much more quickly.”
He suggested outside investigators may not understand naval life and lack the context of pressures felt by servicemen and women “on a day-to-day basis”.
“I would be really worried that if we were setting ourselves in a completely independent process, we would both slow it down, and and actually lead to less good outcomes,” he said.
In October, several female whistleblowers who served in the Submarine Service told the Daily Mail how they faced mistreatment from all ranks.
One reported allegation claimed male crew members had compiled a list setting out the order in which women would be assaulted in the event of a catastrophic event, a so-called “crush depth rape list”.
Adm Sir Ben described those allegations as “appalling”. “I just find it astonishing,” he said.He added: “I know at the moment, the stories are about dreadful treatment of women but what our investigations are uncovering is also men who felt really badly affected by the treatment they’ve received.”
Information and support for anyone affected by sexual abuse (current or historic) can be found at BBC Action Line.
Source: BBC.com
-
Royal Navy is looking into allegations of sexual abuse made by women
The Royal Navy‘s commander-in-chief has ordered an investigation into allegations of bullying and sexual harassment directed at women in the Submarine Service.
Several whistleblowers who served in the fleet told the Daily Mail that they were mistreated at all levels.
The First Sea Lord, Adm Sir Ben Key, called the allegations “abhorrent,” adding that “sexual harassment has no place in the Royal Navy and will not be tolerated.”
“Anyone who is found culpable will be held accountable,” he said.
The allegations, revealed in detail by the Mail, include male crew members compiling a list setting out the order in which women would be assaulted in the event of a catastrophic event.
One woman told the Mail she was sexually assaulted by a man of a higher rank as she slept. She claimed one senior officer punched her in the kidney.
She alleged that another left naked pictures of models for her and posted 50p coins into her cabin, suggesting she would perform a sexual act in return.
Other women alleged they were frequently asked to perform sex acts and were often screamed at and hit with clipboards and pens.
It is claimed the abuse has been happening for more than a decade after a ban on female recruits was lifted in 2011.
Former Navy Rear Adm Chris Parry told the BBC’s Today programme he believed the issue was also a reflection of wider society.
“I’m afraid some of the sexualised behaviour that we see in the normal working place is transferred to submarines, as you would expect, and of course in a compressed environment everything becomes exaggerated,” he said.
He said the issue requires leadership, including “zero tolerance from the top down and the bottom up” when it comes to accusations of sexual harassment.
“It is about leadership. But it’s very difficult in submarines where you are living cheek by jowl with everybody and you don’t have a mature society putting people into those submarines.”
He said when he commanded ships with a mix of genders he took “very seriously” accusations of assault.
‘Unacceptable’
The Submarine Service is “unseen and unhindered,” according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) website, which says it has “built an enduring reputation for professionalism and courage”.
The service includes the Vanguard Class submarines that provide the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
Figures revealed in a Freedom of Information (FOI) request showed that, as of 2019, just 1% of Submarine Service personnel were female.
Responding to the allegations, Adm Sir Ben said: “I want to reassure our people, and anyone who is reading this, that any activity which falls short of the highest of standards the Royal Navy sets itself is totally unacceptable and not a true reflection of what service life should be.
“These allegations are abhorrent. Sexual assault and harassment has no place in the Royal Navy and will not be tolerated.”
The MoD said that while most Navy staff enjoy rewarding careers, some navy personnel, predominantly women, have been affected by inappropriate sexualised behaviour.
It said it accepted more needs to be done to improve the experience of all personnel and mechanisms for reporting sexual offences were being improved.
Earlier this year, media reports emerged detailing allegations of bullying, drinking, misogyny and sexual harassment in the Red Arrows.
A series of incidents within the flagship aerial display team prompted the Chief of the Air Staff to order an inquiry, which has yet to report.
Last year, Diane Allen, a retired lieutenant colonel from the British Army, said the military needed its own Me Too moment, referring to the movement which saw people share their experiences of sexual harassment.
Speaking to the BBC’s Woman’s Hour in May last year about the issue in the Army and the Royal Air Force, she said she was concerned that “even the good people in the military are feeling coerced not to speak up when they see poor behaviour”.
-
HMS Montrose: Royal Navy seizes drugs worth £15m in Arabian Sea
The Royal Navy has seized drugs worth more than £15m from a boat in the Arabian Sea.
Hundreds of kilograms of crystal methamphetamine were recovered from the dhow by the crew of HMS Montrose in a six-hour operation.
It was the fifth drugs raid by the frigate this year.
HMS Montrose’s commanding officer said the seizure was a huge blow to criminal gangs and terrorists using drugs to fund their activities.
“Disrupting terrorist organisations, criminals and their funding lines is key to keeping to UK, and rest of the world, safe,” Commander Claire Thompson said.
A Navy spokesman said HMS Montrose sent a helicopter to track the movements of a suspect boat before specialist Royal Marines from 42 Commando seized control of it in choppy conditions.
An initial search turned up some drugs and the boarding team of sailors and Marines then found a hidden compartment behind a false bulkhead on the small boat.
In total, there was 870kg (1,918lb) of crystal methamphetamine on board, which the National Crime Agency said had a wholesale value of £15.5m.
HMS Montrose, based in Devonport, Plymouth, has been deployed in the Middle East since 2019.
It has seized an estimated £47m worth of drugs and two illegal arms shipments so far this year.
The frigate is part of the Saudi-led Combined Task Force 150, a partnership of 38 nations involved in maritime security operations across the Red and Arabian Seas, and parts of the Indian Ocean.
Image caption, Royal Navy officers lay out the drugs haul on the deck of HMS Montrose
