UK deploys border force to Egypt to prepare evacuation of 200 British nationals in Gaza

Britain has deployed its border force to Egypt, where it is preparing for the evacuation of 200 British nationals stranded in the Gaza Strip.

Gillian Keegan, the UK's education secretary, confirmed to Sky News that Britain has sent border force officers to process British nationals once they are out of Gaza.

“We know that 200 [British] passport holders are there [in Gaza]. They’ve sought consular advice to be able to leave the country,” said Keegan. 

“We want the border force to be there to be prepared and ready if and when we can get the hostages out.

“It’s a very fluid situation, and there’s intense diplomacy going on … but we just want to make sure we have everything in place.”

Keegan did not specify whether the 200 British passport holders she was referring to were hostages taken by Hamas into Gaza from southern Israel or Palestinian Britons visiting their family in the besieged enclave. 

The minister also reiterated the British government’s call for a “humanitarian pause” to allow more aid into Gaza and nationals to be evacuated.

When asked about the frustration of British families at the government’s lack of action to evacuate their loved ones from Gaza, Keegan said the anger was misplaced and “should be directed to Hamas”, who launched a surprise assault into southern Israel on 7 October.