Hamas Plot to Exhume British Soldiers Discovered

Israeli Defense Forces discovered a Hamas plot to exhume the remains of over 3,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers from World War I and II buried in Gaza. The plan, detailed in a seven-page document, aimed to blackmail the UK to prevent moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by demanding the removal of the soldiers' remains or payment of retroactive 'lease fees' dating back to 1917. Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif, who are connected to this plot, intended to hold the remains hostage until their demands were met. The plot was reportedly conceived in 2022, following comments by then-Prime Minister Liz Truss about the embassy relocation. Despite the UK's abandonment of the embassy move, Israeli officials warn that the plan could still be executed. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintains these graves, which include soldiers who died fighting the Ottomans in 1917.