Summary
Here’s a roundup of the key developments from the day:
UK intelligence services have concluded that the deadly blast at al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza was caused by a rocket fired by a Palestinian militant group rather than by an Israeli airstrike, Rishi Sunak has told MPs. In a Commons statement after his trip last week to Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the prime minister stressed the UK’s support for Israel but warned against actions that could undermine an eventual two-state solution, including a viable Palestine.
Rishi Sunak said the aid that had been allowed into Gaza was not enough. He said: The whole house will welcome the limited opening of the Rafah crossing. It is important progress and testament to the power of diplomacy. But it is not enough. We need a constant stream as a pouring in, bringing the water, food, medicine and fuel that is so desperately needed. So we will keep up the diplomatic pressure.”
The Met commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, said he had a “really constructive meeting” with the home secretary, Suella Braverman, about the government’s position on the policing of pro-Palestine protests over the weekend. He said: “We’re accountable for the law. We can’t enforce taste or decency, but we can enforce the law.”
Downing Street has indicated there are no plans to give police more powers to address chants deemed to be extremist, after “jihad” was shouted at a pro-Palestine rally. The chant was heard at the demonstration by the Hizb ut-Tahrir fundamentalist group, which was separate to the main pro-Palestine rally.
The government is delaying the promised ban on no-fault evictions until after a change of the courts is achieved in the face of a Tory rebellion, provoking claims they are kicking the move into the “long grass”. The housing secretary, Michael Gove, has told Conservative MPs that the ban on section 21 evictions will not be enacted before a series of improvements are made in the legal system.
Humza Yousaf visited Brechin, Angus, to assess the damage from Storm Babet. The Scottish first minister met and thanked emergency service, and search and rescue personnel who had been working since the storm hit. He told one resident it would be a “long road to recovery” from the flooding.
Scotland’s justice secretary, Angela Constance, said the Scottish government had to have a “frank” conversation with vulnerable communities about how Scotland prepares for events such as Storm Babet.
Keir Starmer has said he had “productive” talks during a visit to Tata Steel’s giant Port Talbot plant in south Wales. The Labour leader told broadcasters: “We have ambitious plans for the steel industry. We see this as the future, not the past. That requires strategic thinking about our economy. We want to go to clean power, that will bring down energy costs.”
Parliament’s newest MPs have taken their seats after Labour inflicted a double byelection defeat on Rishi Sunak. The prime minister saw two healthy Conservative majorities disappear, in Tamworth and in Mid Bedfordshire, in results that the Labour leader, Starmer, said “made history”.
We’re closing this liveblog shortly. Thanks so much for joining us.
Our blog on the Israel-Hamas war is still live:
Updated
Encouraging extremism will be met with “the full force of the law”, the prime minister said, after being urged to ban a fundamentalist group that appeared at a pro-Palestine protest over the weekend.
Steve McCabe, the MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, told the Commons:
Hizb ut-Tahrir are a fundamentalist organisation who are banned in 40 countries and across most of the Arab world. Why are they allowed to parade on the streets of London and call for the destruction of the state of Israel?
Rishi Sunak replied:
As I previously said, we of course keep the list of proscribed organisations under review, but do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription.
What I would also say, is I refer him to the comments that I made before: hate and extremism of the type we saw this weekend has no place in our society, and it should be met with the full force of the law.
The Conservative former minister Sir Michael Ellis later said:
Will the prime minister confirm that any person in the United Kingdom supporting this vicious terrorism will be subject to the full force of the law?
Sunak replied:
I can also tell him and provide him with the reassurance that he will know well [that] under the Terrorism Acts of both 2001 and 2004, glorification of terrorism, support of proscribed organisations, or encouraging of terrorism are all offences and will be met with the full force of the law.
Updated
