Whitehall working ‘around the clock’ to keep Britons in the Middle East safe

Ceasefire fire talks which were scheduled for Thursday in Doha or Cairo look set to fall through.

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip flee from Hamad City, following an evacuation order by the Israeli army to leave parts of the southern area of Khan Younis (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP) (AP)

Officials in Whitehall are working “around the clock” to keep Britons in the Middle East safe amid heightened tensions in the region, as ceasefire talks due on Thursday look set to fall through.

After pleas from London, Paris and Berlin for de-escalation to conflict in the Middle East, made on Monday, Iran’s president is thought to have told Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer he considered retaliation against Israel a right, after the assassination of Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Leaders in the US, Egypt and Qatar had hoped ceasefire talks, to reach a deal between Israel and Hamas to pause the conflict in Gaza and see Israeli hostages returned to their families and Palestinian civilians returned to their homes, would begin in Doha or Cairo on Thursday.

But Hamas official Ahmad Abdul Hadi has said the group will not participate in the talks, according to reports by Sky News and the New York Times.

Mr Abdul Hadi claimed Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “deceiving and evading and wants to prolong the war”.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its role in the death of Mr Haniyeh last month.

Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr was killed the evening before, in Beirut, Lebanon.

Sir Keir spoke with Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday.

A Number 10 spokesman said the Prime Minister urged Mr Pezeshkian “to refrain from attacking Israel, adding that war was not in anyone’s interests”.

They “agreed that a constructive dialogue between the UK and Iran was in both countries’ interests”.

We call on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions and jeopardise the opportunity to agree a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

Joint statement from UK, France and Germany

The official IRNA news agency in Iran claimed Mr Pezeshkian – an ally of both Hamas and Hezbollah – told Sir Keir punishment and retaliation were “a right of nations and a solution for stopping crimes and aggression”.

The Iranian leader also described a silence in the West over an “unprecedented inhumane crime” unfolding in Gaza.

A Government spokesperson on Tuesday said: “While we continue to use all diplomatic levers to push for de-escalation, our staff are working around the clock to plan for all scenarios to keep British nationals safe.

“Our travel advice is constantly updated to reflect the latest guidance.”

The Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to central and southern Israel, and against all travel to Gaza, the West Bank and areas to the north of Israel.

It has also warned against all travel to Lebanon.

Sir Keir had earlier joined French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz in a joint statement which read: “We are deeply concerned by the heightened tensions in the region, and united in our commitment to de-escalation and regional stability.

“In this context, and in particular, we call on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions and jeopardise the opportunity to agree a ceasefire and the release of hostages.”

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 16 Palestinians on Monday, Palestinian medical officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah have exchanged rocket fire over recent weeks, while shipping vessels have reportedly come under attack in the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations log.

The PA news agency understands a UK-backed evacuation from Lebanon to Cyprus by sea is one of the solutions which the Foreign Office has considered, if conflict escalates along the Mediterranean coast.

The scheme could be similar to Operation Highbrow, which saw 4,500 British nationals evacuated from Lebanon using warships in 2006.