Hamas fears 'a new Middle East', says UK's Sunak

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel were motivated not just by "hatred" but also by an unease that Israel was forging new ties within the Middle East.

Speaking at the Lord Mayor's Banquet in London, Sunak said Hamas feared that "a new Middle East is being born which would see Israel normalising its relationship with its neighbours."

The prime minister spoke of his visit to Israel following the attacks and his meetings with the families of British victims.

"I sat with them, held their hands and saw the profound pain in their eyes. I heard the existential fear that the Israelis are feeling," he said.

Sunak described Hamas as posing "a fundamental challenge" to the idea that the Holocaust could never happen again - referencing statements made by senior operatives that they would repeat 7 October "time and time again."

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