Frank Sherman and Hana Yun-Stevens outside Birmingham crown court. (Photos: John McEvoy / Declassified UK)
Jury mulls case of four protesters who raided Wolverhampton arms factory said to produce “military aircraft parts for Israel”
A jury at Birmingham crown court is deliberating whether four pro-Palestine activists committed criminal damage at an arms factory in Wolverhampton.
Defendants Iain Evans, Hisham Alkhamesi, Frank Sherman, and Hana Yun-Stevens believed the factory, used by arms firm Moog, supplied weaponry to Israel.
They climbed onto the roof in August 2025, smashed equipment and unveiled a banner saying “Free Palestine” while wearing T-shirts with the names of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes.
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Jurors were unable to reach a verdict this week and have been discharged until Tuesday.
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Sherman, 23, told the jury they would always believe disrupting the factory was “not criminal” and that any repercussions they may face could not “compare to how I would feel if I had not taken action”.
Lawyers for the other defendants reminded the jury of its powers – referencing the Magna Carta and the Bushell case, a landmark ruling from 1670 which established the independence of juries.
They also mentioned how the suffragettes “did a bit of smashing themselves”.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
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Hundreds of demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and held signs calling for a boycott of Israel during a rally organized by the EuroPalestine collective in Paris, France on 27 September 2025. [Ümit Dönmez – Anadolu Agency]
Israel has become the country most exposed to boycotts worldwide, facing a sweeping wave of international sanctions targeting government officials, occupiers and official institutions, the daily Yedioth Ahronoth said Thursday.
Under the headline “How Israel became the most boycotted nation in the world,” the newspaper said Israel has faced “a tsunami of international sanctions targeting Israeli government officials, occupiers and institutions, escalating pressure from multiple countries and long-standing pro-BDS organizations.”
It said France recently barred Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, after previously imposing a similar ban on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
According to the newspaper, the French move came in response to the two ministers’ “active promotion of West Bank annexation, new settlements and policies perceived as undermining the Palestinian Authority.”
The United Nations considers the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, occupied Palestinian territory, and its annexation to Israel would effectively eliminate the possibility of establishing an independent Palestinian state envisioned in international resolutions.
Yedioth Ahronoth said until Oct. 7, 2023, Israel had managed to limit the impact of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaigns.
“Economic sanctions had little effect because Israel’s strong economy discouraged divestment, while academic and cultural boycotts were largely symbolic,” it added.
However, the phenomenon has intensified, with BDS achieving successes in multiple fields,” the daily said.
“The movement has damaged Israel’s reputation internationally, evident in public opinion surveys showing growing negative perceptions.”
The report cited several examples, including artists refusing to perform in Israel, authors refusing Hebrew translations of their work and campaigns removing Israel from events like Eurovision or FIFA competitions.
It also pointed to growing efforts to withdraw foreign investments, “including the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund divesting from Israeli companies.”
“The UN Human Rights Council blacklist targets Israeli and international companies operating beyond the Green Line,” the paper said, referring to illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
“Reports and videos from the West Bank showing occupiers engaging in violent behavior against Palestinians and property damage have further fueled the sanctions,” the report said.
“Public statements and actions by ministers, especially Ben-Gvir’s widely circulated video humiliating flotilla participants bound for Gaza, drew condemnation from multiple countries as crossing a red line.”
Referring to France’s decision to bar Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, the newspaper said Paris had joined Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway in restricting entry for Israeli ministers.
“France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway—have coordinated sanctions against occupiers and organizations promoting violence in the West Bank,” it said.
France has also restricted the entry of four illegal settlement leaders and 21 occupiers, according to the report.
The UK launched “a plan of action” targeting networks that finance and support occupiers’ attacks, “urging businesses to avoid operations in West Bank settlements.”
“Canada imposed entry bans and financial restrictions on two citizens and five organizations, while Australia sanctioned three citizens and six outposts,” the newspaper said.
New Zealand also barred three Israelis, adding them to a blacklist of 35 individuals that includes Ben-Gvir, Smotrich and illegal settlement figures such as Daniela Weiss, Ze’ev Haber, Elisha Yered, Noam Federman, Baruch Marzel and Bentzi Gopstein.
“In addition to sanctions, France has opened investigations into alleged torture and war crimes linked to the flotilla incident and Italy announced an inquiry into Ben-Gvir for humiliating Italian civilians,” the report added.
“EU discussions are ongoing regarding personal sanctions against Israeli ministers,” the paper said.
“Germany reportedly opposes measures against Smotrich but may support restrictions on Ben-Gvir, though a Czech veto could prevent action,” it added.
Analysts cited by the newspaper said broad economic sanctions against Israel “are unlikely in the short term, but personal sanctions against ministers are expected to remain under consideration.”
They argued that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has failed to effectively respond to these developments, mobilize friendly countries or engage with global Jewish communities in confronting the boycott movement.
Netanyahu has been wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) since 2024 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Palestinians in Gaza, where nearly 73,000 people have been killed and over 173,000 others in a genocidal war since October 2023.
Israel is also facing a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) brought by South Africa and supported by several countries, accusing it of committing genocide in the Palestinian enclave.
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Group of Palestinian children in Bureyc Camp raise the Palestinian flag over the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes following announcements of recognition of the State of Palestine by Canada, Australia, the UK, and Portugal, on September 22, 2025, in Gaza City, Gaza. [Moiz Salhi – Anadolu Agency]
The United Kingdom, Australia and Canada announced Thursday the creation of a new International Peace Fund aimed at supporting efforts toward a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel, Anadolu Agency reports.
In a joint statement, the three countries said the multi-donor fund will support projects designed to advance the conditions for a negotiated two-state solution.
The governments said the initiative will complement ongoing diplomatic, humanitarian and development efforts by supporting organizations working to promote peacebuilding and mutual understanding.
The three countries reaffirmed their commitment to a negotiated two-state solution, describing it as the only viable path to lasting peace.
The UK, Australia and Canada will each contribute initial seed funding equivalent to £1 million ($1.3 million) over three years. The fund will also be open to contributions from other international partners.
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A United States flag waves in front of the United States Capitol building in Washington D.C., United States, on September 24, 2025. [Yasin Öztürk – Anadolu Agency]
The US Senate is considering a measure that would force the president to expand intelligence sharing with Israel and make it harder for any administration to restrict Israeli access to American secrets, even amid growing concern in Washington over Israeli espionage against US officials.
Section 622 of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, titled “United States-Israel Intelligence Sharing Enhancement”, would require the president, through the director of national intelligence and, when necessary, the secretary of defence, to “expand and enhance intelligence sharing with the Government of Israel”.
The bill was introduced by Israeli loyalist Senator Tom Cotton, the Republican chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and one of Israel’s most hardline supporters in Congress.
The provision would cover a wide range of intelligence across the Middle East, including cyber threats, terrorism, sanctions evasion, missile threats, drones, air defence and the plans of governments and armed groups. In practice, critics say, it would give Israel broader access to sensitive US assessments on many of the region’s most important security issues.
The measure would also make it difficult for a president to suspend, reduce or restrict intelligence sharing with Israel. According to the bill, any reduction would need to be based on a “specific and identifiable national security concern”. The White House would then have 15 days to notify Congress and explain what information was being withheld, why it was being restricted and how the decision could affect Israel, US forces and regional security.
Former CIA officer Paul R Pillar, writing in Responsible Statecraft, warned that the proposal would move US support for Israel deeper into the less visible world of intelligence cooperation. Unlike military aid, intelligence sharing does not come with a public price tag and is far harder for the public to scrutinise.
Pillar argued that Congress does not normally legislate such relationships because intelligence agencies need flexibility to decide what to share, what to withhold and how to protect sources.
The proposal comes shortly after reports that the Pentagon’s Defence Intelligence Agency raised its counterintelligence threat assessment for Israel to “critical”, the highest level.
Israel has a long record of spying on the United States. The most notorious case involved Jonathan Pollard, a US naval intelligence analyst who stole large volumes of classified material for Israel. Israel treated Pollard as a hero after his release, despite US officials describing the damage he caused as severe.
Critics say Section 622 would risk giving Israel intelligence that could be used in military operations opposed by Washington or in breach of international law. Israel has repeatedly carried out attacks across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran, while the US has faced mounting accusations of enabling Israeli escalation through military, diplomatic and intelligence support.
The measure is seen as a wider shift in Washington’s support for Israel. As unconditional military aid becomes increasingly unpopular, Israel’s supporters in Congress are pushing less visible forms of cooperation, including military integration, shared air defence systems and intelligence sharing.
If passed, critics warn that Section 622 would embed expanded intelligence sharing with Israel into US law, even as US defence agencies warn that Israeli espionage poses a serious threat to American officials and secrets.
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Hezbollah fighters on September 25, 2024 [AFP via Getty Images]
Hezbollah said Thursday that it shot down an Israeli military drone over eastern Lebanon, claiming the aircraft was targeted with a missile in the Bekaa region, Anadolu reports.
In a statement, the group said its fighters downed a Heron 1 drone belonging to the Israeli army.
According to the statement, the drone was flying over the Nahle area in the eastern Bekaa Valley when it was struck by “a specialized missile.”
There was no comment from the Israeli military on Hezbollah’s statement.
Earlier Thursday, Hezbollah said in a series of statements that it had targeted Israeli army vehicles and troop concentrations in the southern Lebanese towns of Tayr Harfa, Deir Siriane, and Odaisseh with drones and missiles in response to Israeli ceasefire violations and ongoing assaults.
Despite a ceasefire that took effect on April 17, Israel has continued its aggression in Lebanon since March 2, killing 3,711 people and wounding 11,483 others as of Wednesday, while displacing more than one million people, according to official figures.
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