Local government minister Lee Rowley has told Kay Burley what we saw in Israel over the weekend was a “clear terror attack”.
Hundreds of people were killed in the strikes by Hamas militants, while others have been reported taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.
Mr Rowley told Sky News that Israel has an “absolute right” to defend itself, with “difficult days ahead in the Middle East”.
Asked what the government is doing to help British nationals, the minister said he understands it is still “fine” to travel to Israel.
He said: “The Foreign Office is… working very hard to make sure we know where British nationals are, that we provide support that is necessary and also that we… encourage people not to travel where it’s necessary.”
Mr Rowley pointed to Foreign Office guidance on travel, and said: “As I understand it, it is still OK to travel to Israel.
“We’ve advised against travelling to elsewhere such as Gaza and the like, but it really is for the foreign secretary, who has got a full understanding of all this situation.”
He was then asked about antisemitism in the UK, which he said was “absolutely unacceptable”.
“We’ve seen some isolated incidents over the last few days, the Met Police have said they are stepping up patrols.”
The minister described the situation as a “clear terror attack on Israeli soil”.
