The Prime Minister updated
Cabinet on the UK Government’s response to the terrible Hamas
terror attacks in Israel. He underscored the abhorrence of Hamas’
deliberate targeting of civilians and said the UK would continue
to stand with Israel and respect their right to self-defence. He
said that the UK will play its part to help alleviate the
unfolding humanitarian crisis, recognising that Hamas is actively
seeking to endanger Palestinian civilians. The Prime Minister
also added that Hamas were responsible for the murder and
suspected abduction of British nationals.
The Foreign Secretary outlined
the support that the UK is providing, including £10 million of
extra aid announced for the Occupied Palestinian Territories and
continued close working with partners in the
region.
Cabinet recognised that many in
the UK will have been deeply and directly affected by events in
Israel and Gaza. They agreed the vital importance of the
government continuing to take every possible step to provide
reassurance to the UK’s Jewish community and take a
zero-tolerance approach to those who sought to use the terror
attack as an excuse for antisemitic attacks.
The Prime Minister also updated
Cabinet on the European Political Community Summit in Grenada,
noting there had a been a significant shift on the approach to
the shared challenges of illegal migration and that other
countries had echoed the UK’s language on the importance of
governments deciding who comes through their borders, rather than
criminal gangs.
Cabinet then discussed the
upcoming global AI Safety Summit to be hosted in the UK in
November – the first time that international partners, AI
experts, tech companies and civil society will come together in
this way to build a shared understanding of risk and inform a
shared approach to safety at the frontier of AI
development.
The Prime Minister made clear
that it is only by managing the risks around AI that we can reap
its benefits as a powerful tool for good, improving lives,
boosting productivity, delivering better public services and
growing our economy. This requires international cooperation,
which the UK is uniquely placed to lead as the third most
advanced country on AI behind only the US and China, and because
we are the leading investor in AI Safety.
The Technology Secretary and the
Chair of the Frontier AI Taskforce updated Cabinet on
preparations for the summit and how we are driving AI for good
across government.
