Photos of emotional Israelis are on many front pages today, marking the first anniversary of the Hamas attack. The Guardian reported that the “sobs and murmured prayers” of mourners at the Nova music festival, where hundreds of people were killed, were interrupted by “the sounds of artillery and machine gun fire near Gaza.” Reported.
The Daily Mirror spoke to a British mother whose son was killed by Hamas while working as a festival security guard. She said he called her the morning of the attack and told her that rockets were flying overhead. She learned he had been murdered four days later. The Daily Mail details the story of one of the survivors. Yobel Sharvit Trabelsi attended the event with her husband, but after he was shot dead, she was buried under his body for five hours.
‘i’ focuses on Sir Keir Starmer’s comments in the House of Commons, where he refused to rule out the possibility of British military involvement in Israel’s operations against Iran. The newspaper said he did not deny suggestions that British bases or personnel were being used. There are calls for any involvement to first be approved by parliamentarians.
The Times spoke to senior Whitehall officials who said the sacking of Sue Gray as chief of staff would not solve the “systemic” problems at number 10. A source reportedly said the “dysfunction” was not her fault. Things won’t get better just because she’s gone. The newspaper reported that Sir Keir will not reshuffle his cabinet this year, despite suggestions that Mr Gray’s successor, Morgan McSweeney, is in favor of a reshuffle.
The Sun reported that donors were offered the chance to “mingle” with the Prime Minister and his deputy Angela Lyner at the recent Labor Party conference by paying up to £50,000 to sponsor a drinks party. A Labor Party spokesperson told the paper the proposal was not an “authorized party communication” and had not been “raised”.
The Daily Telegraph reported that a thief who was deported to Albania but returned to the UK months later has won the right to remain under the European Convention on Human Rights. It is believed that this lawsuit will once again increase calls for the UK to withdraw from the ECHR. The Interior Ministry announced that 3,000 people have been removed since the new government took power.
Demonstrators gathered outside parliament to protest the government’s winter fuel cuts, featured on the front page of the Daily Express. Charities and trade unions have come together to protest the cutting off of support for people who are ineligible for certain means-tested benefits, with “hundreds of people rallying”, the report said. The government says more than one million pensioners will continue to receive payments.
And behind-the-scenes photos from the set of Gavin and Stacey’s upcoming Christmas special were published in several newspapers. James Corden and Ruth Jones are shown playing Nessa and Smithy, both wearing smarter clothes than usual. “Are we finally seeing Mr. and Mrs. Smithy in a TV special?” The Daily Star reported that the characters appeared to be wearing wedding rings.