Israel-Gaza: West Sussex MPs issue advice to schools on how to discuss war with children

Thousands of people have died during a huge conflict between Israel and Gaza this month.

Israel today (October 18) denied claims that it launched a deadly airstrike on a hospital in Gaza which resulted in the death of hundreds, instead claiming the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad are to blame. Both sides deny responsibility for the incident.

It comes after Hamas – a Palestinian militant group which rules the Gaza Strip – killed 1,300 people in Israel and kidnapped hundreds of others.

Gillian Keegan, education secretary and Conservative MP for Chichester, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) today: “Following Hamas' barbaric terrorist attacks in Israel, Robert Halfon (minister for skills, apprenticeships and higher education), Nick Gibb (Bognor & Littlehampton MP and minister of state for schools) and I have written to schools and colleges to provide advice on how they discuss these issues with young people.

"Antisemitism will not be tolerated in our education system.”

Mrs Keegan also addressed the ongoing conflict in her Chichester Observer column this week.

She said: “This week, I’ve been speaking with school leaders across the country to offer my support to Jewish students during what I know has been an incredibly difficult time. It’s been deeply concerning to see a rise in antisemitism in our schools and on our university campuses following Hamas’ horrific terrorist attacks in Israel.

"Myself and my ministerial team are working closely with the education sector to ensure that swift and decisive action is taken against any threats, be they implicit or explicit, to the safety and welfare of Jewish people. As your MP, I will do everything in my power to ensure that the Jewish community in Chichester feel safe and free to go about their lives without fear of harassment or intimidation.”