travel strikes over christmas

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Warning of UK Christmas airport disruption as strikes escalate

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Philip Georgiadis in London

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Passengers flying into the UK have been warned to expect disruption over Christmas as passport officers join the wave of strikes gripping the country.

Border Force staff at six of the UK’s busiest airports, including London Heathrow and Gatwick, will walk out from Friday in a row over pay rises as part of a series of strikes from the PCS union.

Steve Dann, Border Force’s chief operating officer, on Wednesday said there were “robust plans” in place to minimise queues, but that passengers “should be prepared for disruption and take action to plan ahead”.

The action will take place between December 23 and 26 and then again between December 28 and 31; around 10,000 flights are expected to land over that period.

The walkout comes as public sector workers including railway staff, nurses and ambulance drivers have all taken part in industrial action this month in protest over low pay rises at a time of high inflation.

Electronic passport gates will remain open as normal, and departing passengers are not expected to be caught up in the problems.

Dann raised the prospect of closing some airports as a worst-case scenario if disruption were to spiral out of control, but he said he had a “reasonable expectation” that government contingency plans would keep borders open and flowing. Industry executives privately dismissed the possibility of closures.

UK government officials and the aviation industry have spent the past month scrambling to prepare plans to keep people moving during one of the busiest periods of the year.

Military personnel and volunteers from across the civil service will be deployed to stand in for striking staff.

Contingency plans also rely on passenger numbers rising to no more than 70-80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Most airports were already planning to run at around these passenger levels, but Heathrow was instructed to reduce the number of people flying into the airport.

It asked airlines to stop selling new tickets for strike days, while carriers have also offered passengers the chance to rebook.

Industry officials are confident these measures will result in relatively normal operations on strike days. There is the possibility of queues lasting up to two hours at the busiest times, but emergency fallbacks such as keeping passengers waiting on aircraft are unlikely, one executive said.

“I think that with a collective effort by airlines, airports and government we will get through this,” Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive Shai Weiss told the FT last week.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye has said the “vast majority” of journeys over the festive period should be unaffected. But given the uncertainty over staff numbers, industry and government officials said they will not know the full scale of disruption until the first planes land on Friday morning.

“Our contingency workforce will not be able to operate with the same efficiency as our permanent workforce and . . . we simply will not know levels of permanent Border Force officers who will report for duty until the day and what the operational impacts might be,” Dann said.

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December train and airport strikes: When to avoid booking holidays over Christmas - full list of action affecting travel

European airport staff and UK train drivers are set to strike in December - and it's likely to cause travel disruption over the Christmas holiday

Holidaymakers could face travel disruption in the run-up to Christmas due to ongoing strikes in sectors across France, Spain and Italy that have been taking place throughout the year. There is currently no industrial action scheduled at UK airports but airports abroad are likely to be disrupted.

Rail passengers are also likely to be affected as workers represented by Aslef will walk out at various times between 2 and 8 December and will not work overtime between 1 and 9. The RMT transport union voted in October for another six months of strike action so it is likely that further disruption is on the cards.

Here we list which airport and train strikes are taking place that will impact Brits travelling around the festive season. We also include your rights if the strikes impact your travel. 

Which airport strikes are taking place in November and December?

There are currently no planned strikes in November or over the Christmas period in the UK, however there is planned industrial action in countries abroad that could affect holidaymakers. 

Flights will be cancelled at various airports across France around 20 November. ATC staff will walk out between 6pm on 19, and 6am on 21 November.  The airports that are likely to be particularly affected are:

Paris-Beauvais

Marseille-Provence

Ongoing air traffic control strikes in France have led to delays and cancellations in and out of France for months. It has led to delays for airlines travelling over French airspace even if they aren't landing in the country. 

Security staff at Alicante airport have also planned strikes on dates throughout November and December, although for just a few hours each day. Flights are unlikely to be affected, but getting through security checks may take longer. The dates are as follows:

17 - 19 November

21 November

24 - 26 November

28 November

22 - 31 December

Currently there are no strikes planned in Italy. When there are strikes, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority guarantees a minimum level of service and flights run regardless from 7am to 10am and from 6pm to 9pm.

Can I get a refund if my flight is cancelled due to strike action?

If an airline cancels your flight because its staff are striking, you’re entitled to compensation. The airline must offer you the option of being reimbursed or rerouted, and must also provide you with meals and telephone calls. If rerouting involves departing the following day or later, you are entitled to hotel accommodation if necessary. 

You are entitled to compensation unless:

you are told of the cancellation at least two weeks before departure, or

you are told of the cancellation between one and two weeks before departure, and rerouting your flight will get you to your final destination no more than four hours late, 

rerouting will get you to your destination no more than two hours late.

If a flight is cancelled because of airport staff, border force or air traffic control strikes, this will be classified as an extraordinary circumstance. You are entitled to a refund or rerouting but not compensation. 

When are UK train strikes in December?

The RMT transport union voted for six months of strike action back in October, but no walkouts are currently planned for November and December. However, train drivers in the Aslef union will walk out on various days throughout December. 

Services will likely be cancelled on strike days in the build-up to Christmas. The dates are:

East Midlands Railway and LNER - Saturday 2 December

Avanti West Coast, Chiltern, Great Northern Thameslink, and West Midlands Trains - Sunday 3 December

C2C and Greater Anglia - Tuesday 5 December

Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, SWR main line, SWR depot drivers, and Island Line - Wednesday 6 December

CrossCountry and GWR - Thursday 7 December

Northern and TransPennine Express - Friday 8 December

Union member drivers will not work overtime from 1 - 9 December, which will also mean reduced services on all days. You can check your journey on National Rail before you head to the train station during the strikes.

Can I get a refund if my train is cancelled due to strikes?

If you have an advance ticket booked for a strike day and your service is no longer running, is delayed or rescheduled, you are entitled to a date change or refund. If your specific journey isn’t affected but falls on a strike day and you no longer wish to travel, you will usually be charged an admin fee of £10 to amend or cancel your ticket. If you have a monthly or yearly season ticket and can’t travel due to strikes, you can claim money back via Delay Repay . 

When are European train strikes in December?

French rail union SudRail has threatened strike action over Christmas and New Year however the dates are not yet confirmed. If you're due to use French public transport services, you can check sites such as SNCF (trains) and RATP (Metro and buses) for updates before you travel. Strike timetables become available at 5pm the day before.

Renfe and Adif train staff are expected to go on strike on the following dates. This is likely to affect most train services.

November 24

November 30

Travel Strikes Affecting Europe: What to Expect This Christmas

Reported by:

Christmas travel strikes are wreaking havoc across the continent. As aviation and rail unions threaten to leave travellers stranded from Spain to Scotland and beyond, it’s crucial to keep up with the latest holiday strike news.  

Here is your breakdown of all of the travel strikes across Europe set for December and January. 

Table of Contents

International Eurostar Christmas Strikes

The Eurostar strikes previously scheduled for 16 and 18 December have been cancelled as talks over pay continue. The next potential international rail strikes, which include workers across the continent, still threaten disruptions during the busy travel days of 22 and 23 December. If union members aren’t satisfied with the final salary offers, rail travel across much of Europe will be majorly impacted.  

Christmas Travel Strikes in France 

Clément Beaune, France’s Transport Minister, says, “there will be trains, there will be planes” this Christmas. “I am quite confident that there will be no major disruptions,” the rail boss said . “We do not anticipate major disruptions in the air for departures on vacation.” 

On the ground, we’re seeing a different story. Representatives from the French rail union are ready for action. The spokesperson for the inter-union National Collective ASCT, Nicolas Limon, asserted that conductors and ticket collectors are “not considered in the same way train drivers are, even though we work three weekends a month and sleep away from home ten nights a month.”

At the moment, these conductors and ticket collectors are planning to strike from 23 to 26 December and again from 30 December to 2 January. The negotiations, however, will continue until 23 December and leave open the possibility of cancellation. 

Meanwhile, Air France cabin crew are negotiating their terms with threats of distributive strikes running from 22 December to 2 January. 

Italian Christmas Travel Strikes 

Local networks across Italy are planning Christmas strikes. Not only could these strikes have a major impact on the holidays but each region has different plans. As negotiations evolve locally, separate districts are choosing different dates for strikes. 

Some areas are likely to proceed with business as usual while others will see major disruptions. It is important to check in with each local service provider to stay current on the latest changes.  

Brussels Airport Strikes 

Zaventem airport in Brussels is one of Belgium’s major travel hubs. During talks over energy price caps and salaries, baggage handlers and air traffic controllers announced plans to strike. 

On 16 December, Brussels Airport (BRU) saw more than 50% of flights cancelled with major hits to Brussels Airlines travel routes. Currently, officials are expecting a 70 per cent drop in capacity. 

Spain Airport Strikes 

Finally, good news from Spanish officials as airport workers call off the Christmas strike. Spanish airport operators have agreed to cancel the strikes planned for late December and early January.  

Are you up to date on the latest UK strike? Keep reading here . 

About the author

I have a passion for the English countryside and especially anywhere in Yorkshire. I drink far too much Yorkshire tea on my travels and even take it with me when abroad. My passion is to share travel experiences with my readers which may help them plan their holidays and save money.

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18 days of Christmas travel strikes - day by day breakdown of expected travel chaos

RMT Union, Unite and PCS Union members working on the railways, at airports and on Eurostar are walking out across a series of days over Christmas, potentially bringing public transport and flights to a standstill

• 05:01, 10 Dec 2022
• Updated 18:23, 10 Dec 2022

Over 500,000 workers are set to strike in the coming weeks as unions fight for better pay and against cuts in services - and this includes a host of industrial action that will affect travel.

That includes Border Force, security workers affecting Eurostar journeys, rail workers and airport staff with plenty of travel chaos anticipated over the Christmas period.

The PCS Union , which represents Border Force , passport and visa workers, announced eight days of industrial action over the Christmas period on Wednesday.

It came after Unite and the RMT Union said workers would be walking out of their positions in train stations, on Eurostar and from their jobs as baggage handlers over the festive period.

Have you had your Christmas travel impacted by the strikes? Email [email protected]

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said the strikes called by his workers would have a "significant impact", with airports already braced to cancel flights.

We take a look at the full day-by-day breakdown of 18 days of travel strikes that could hinder Brits' travel plans.

Make sure to check whether your train or plane is delayed or cancelled, as not all services will be affected.

There is also the chance that negotiations will be successful ahead of the strike days and the industrial action called off.

December 13 and December 14

A 48-hour strike has been called by the RMT which will affect "most train companies across Britain", National Rail has warned.

"It is likely that there will be a very limited service on these days with no trains at all on some routes," the organisation warns.

December 16

Unite members employed by Menzies will take part in strike action from 4am on Friday December 16 for 72 hours, affecting baggage handling at Heathrow Airport.

Mitie security staff working on Eurostar will also strike. "We’re currently assessing the impact on our timetable and expect to run most of our trains," a statement on Eurostar's website reads.

A second 48 hour strike by RMT will begin.

December 17 and 18

The baggage handlers employed by Menzies will also be continuing a second and third day of strikes, which could affect journeys at Heathrow Airport.

Meanwhile, Mitie security staff working on Eurostar will be striking on December 18.

The RMT Union's 48-hour strike will affect December 17 only.

December 22

Mitie security staff working on Eurostar are expected to strike.

December 23

Unite workers on East Midlands Railway will walk out in a localised strike.

Border Force workers represented by PCS Union begin their strike, affecting Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airports, as well as Newhaven port.

Mitie security staff working on Eurostar will strike for a final day.

December 24

Christmas Eve will mark the second day of Border Force strike action, affecting Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airports, as well as Newhaven port.

RMT Union rail workers will walk out from 6pm.

Unite workers East Midlands Railway will continue the localised industrial action.

December 25 and 26

RMT Union rail and PCS Union Border Force workers remain on strike.

December 28

PCS Union Border Force workers return to the picket line after a day off striking.

December 29, 30 and 31

PCS Union Border Force workers remain on strike.

January 3 and 4

RMT Union rail workers are expected to stage a 48-hour strike.

January 6 and 7

More on unite railways rmt union trains strikes mick lynch, can we send you the mirror travel newsletter with weekly travel news and inspiration.

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Who is striking over Christmas and when? December strikes explained

5 December 2023, 16:13

By Kieran Kelly

Trains, buses and the NHS will all be impacted by strike action over Christmas and the New Year - but when exactly will you be affected by industrial action?

Listen to this article

A number of unions have announced industrial action over the next few weeks, including Aslef, which represents train drivers.

It is not only the trains that will be affected by strike action, but buses too.

Up until today, industrial action was confined to public transport, but that all changed when junior doctors announced a fresh wave of strikes over Christmas and the New Year .

Here are the exact dates industrial action will take place.

Train strikes

There were train strikes over the weekend and even more taking place today and tomorrow.

Today , C2C and Greater Anglia train drivers are on strike.

Even more passengers will be disrupted tomorrow (December 6) when train drivers from the following companies walk out:

• Southeastern
• Southern/Gatwick Express
• SWR main line
• SWR depot drivers
• Island Line

On Thursday, December 7, train drivers from CrossCountry and GWR will go on strike.

On Friday, December 8, drivers from Northern and TPT will walk out.

Drivers will refuse to work overtime from 1-9 December .

Bus strikes

As well as train strikes, Londoners will be hit by bus strikes over the Christmas period.

Strikes will be taking place on:

Friday, December 1

Monday, December 4

Friday, December 22

Saturday, December 23

Which routes will be affected?

• 218 –  Hammersmith to/from North Acton
• 295 –  Ladbroke Grove to/from Clapham Junction
• 414 –  Putney Bridge to/from Marble Arch
• 23 –  Great Western Road to/from Aldwych
• 28 –  Wandsworth to/from Harlesden
• 452 –  Ladbroke Grove to/from Vauxhall
• 13 – North Finchley to/from Victoria Station
• N28 –  Wandsworth to/from Camden

Junior doctors strike

It is not just Britain's transport network that will be affected by strikes over the Christmas period, but the NHS too.

It was announced today that junior doctors will go on strike in England this month and next month after rejecting a proposed 3% pay deal offered by the government.

Junior doctors will strike on December 20 from 7am to 7am on December 23.

They will then go on strike on January 3 at 7am until 7am on January 9.

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Middle East crisis live: Israel warns it will hit back if Iran strikes as US issues travel restrictions for diplomats

Israel’s defence minister says it will launch ‘appropriate’ response if Iran retaliates over embassy attack in Syria

• See all our Israel-Gaza war coverge
• 6m ago Aid ‘still not reaching Gaza’, as top US official warns famine has started
• 22m ago Two Palestinians shot by Israeli forces in West Bank, says Palestinian news agency
• 35m ago Hamas says it does not have 40 hostages who fit criteria for deal with Israel
• 48m ago Hundreds of ultra-orthodox men and boys clash with Israeli police at Jerusalem demonstration
• 1h ago US seeking to deter Iran from strike on Israel, officials say
• 2h ago Irish taoiseach and Spanish PM to discuss Palestine nation state plan
• 2h ago Opening summary

US seeking to deter Iran from strike on Israel, officials say

The US is seeking to deter Iran from carrying out a retaliatory strike against Israel with concerted declarations of commitment to Israeli security , while at the same time trying to prevent the outbreak of a major regional war, officials in Washington have said.

US officials still believe that a direct Iranian missile or drone strike is possible within the next few days, in retaliation for the Israeli bombing of an Iranian consular building in Damascus on 1 April , which killed a top Islamic Revolutionary Guards general and six other Guard officers.

The developments came as the US restricted the movements of its diplomats in Israel over security fears, the embassy said.

“Out of an abundance of caution, US government employees and their family members are restricted from personal travel” outside the Tel Aviv , Jerusalem and Beersheeva areas “until further notice”, an embassy notice on Thursday said.

Israel would rely heavily on US-supplied weaponry in any response to an Iranian strike, a point that Benjamin Netanyahu made implicitly on Thursday, by standing in front of American-made F-15 fighters at the Tel Nof airbase in southern Israel to tell reporters: “Whoever harms us, we will harm them.”

You can read the full piece by Julian Borger and Patrick Wintour here:

Aid ‘still not reaching Gaza’, as top US official warns famine has started

A promised surge in aid into Gaza that Benjamin Netanyahu promised Joe Biden a week ago has so far failed to materialise, aid workers say, as the US aid chief confirmed that famine is beginning to take hold in parts of the besieged coastal strip.

The increase in the number of truck crossing into Gaza claimed by Israel conflicts with UN records and already appears to be faltering.

“There is a lot less than meets the eye so far,” said Jeremy Konyndyk , a former senior official in the Biden administration, who is now president of the Refugees International aid advocacy organisation. “Very little has actually changed.”

One of Netanyahu’s pledges to Biden, to open the Ashdod port north of Gaza as a portal to sea-borne humanitarian aid, has led to no apparent action, according to the Israel N12 channel . N12 reported that none of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) , Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat) nor the Ashdod Port authorities have so far received instructions about opening the facility to shipments bound for Gaza.

Israeli officials had been promising their US counterparts for weeks that a crossing point would be opened into northern Gaza where the starvation is the most severe . It would either be at Erez , which was the main border point before the current war, or at a new site, they informed Washington . No decision was made, however, until Wednesday, six days after the Biden-Netanyahu call, when the defence minister, Yoav Gallant , said construction had begun on a new crossing. It is not clear how long that construction work will take.

You can read the report by Julian Borger in Washington here:

Two Palestinians shot by Israeli forces in West Bank, says Palestinian news agency

Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians in an early morning raid on Friday near the occupied West Bank city of Tubas , reports Agence France-Presse citing the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

One man was killed when Israeli soldiers opened fire on his vehicle in Tubas, the report said.

Another Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli gunfire when troops raided al-Fara refugee camp near Tubas, the agency reported.

The Israeli military did not have an immediate comment on the raid.

The area around Tubas in the northern West Bank is a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups and the frequent target of Israeli military incursions.

The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has seen a surge in violence since early last year, particularly since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in Gaza on 7 October.

At least 461 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers across the West Bank since 7 October, according to official Palestinian sources, say AFP.

Hamas says it does not have 40 hostages who fit criteria for deal with Israel

The Palestinian militant group Hamas has indicated it does not have 40 captives who are still alive who meet the “humanitarian” criteria for a proposed hostages-for-prisoners ceasefire agreement with Israel .

A senior Israeli official confirmed claims made at the weekend by Hamas during talks in Cairo that it does not have 40 hostages in Gaza who meet the exchange criteria.

Ceasefire talks have focused on a US -backed proposal of a phased exchange of hostages and prisoners. In the first instance women, children, and elderly or sick people – including five female Israeli soldiers – would be exchanged for an estimated 900 Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel, alongside a six-week ceasefire in Gaza .

Hamas appears reluctant to make up the numbers for an exchange with surviving male hostages. Reliable information about how many hostages remain alive, who is holding them and where has been hard to come by.

The CIA director, William Burns , has presented a new proposal to try to bridge the gaps between the two sides.

The US is pressuring Israel to agree to release 900 Palestinian prisoners in the first phase of a three-stage deal as well as allowing the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza.

You can read Peter Beaumont ’s full piece here:

Hundreds of ultra-orthodox men and boys clash with Israeli police at Jerusalem demonstration

Hundreds of ultra-orthodox men and boys clashed with Israeli police on Thursday evening at a demonstration in Jerusalem against plans to end the community’s sweeping exemption from military service. Thousands of men had arrived, many with young sons in tow, to say prayers and hear speeches under a banner reading “don’t touch the yeshivot (religious schools)”, down the street from a conscription office. One rabbi involved in organising the event, Abraham Manks from the hard line Peleg Yerushalmi or Jerusalem faction , described it as “a gathering, not a protest”, a show of Haredi unity. It drew the biggest crowds seen at an ultra-orthodox rally since before the Covid pandemic, said analyst Israel Cohen .

But although the majority were peaceful, a few hundred metres from the main stage, outside the military building, rows of angry boys pushed against police lines, taunting officers, throwing drinks and sticks, and trying to attack them with protest placards. Some of the youngest looked as if they were under ten, and treated clashes with the police almost like a game, laughing as they tried to race past officers. They carried signs and stickers reading “Either Haredi, or in the army”. The community says young men who go to serve, alongside secular men and women, will lose the religious outlook that is the heart of life at the conservative communities, were the sexes are strictly segregated and smartphones banned. “The message to Israeli society is that there is a large group of people who don’t want to serve in the army,” Manks said. “The fear is that we will loose our identity, and joining the army will mean loosing our identity.” He said the meeting aimed to unite Haredis, and protest that a decision affecting over a million Israelis had been made by a court, not by the government.

The supreme court ruled at the end of March that a system exempting ultra-Orthodox students at yeshivas from military service was discriminatory. It dates back to Israel’s founding, when only about 400 men were covered; now over one in ten Israelis are Haredim. Conscription notices have started going out, and the government said it will cut stipends that are vital for religious students. But potential recruits say they would rather go to jail. “We are the men they are telling (to join the army),” said Moshe , 19, who declined to give his last name. “There are many men here who have an arrest warrant because of that.” “We are gathered here to show that we are not afraid of the supreme court decision, we are not afraid of prison.” Like many ultra-Orthodox, he said prayers of yeshiva students protect Israel more than its army. The issue is a major threat to embattled Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu . His coalition government relies on the support of ultra-Orthodox parties who have threatened to leave over the issue, bringing him down. But opposition figures who joined an emergency unity government, including Netanyahu’s biggest rival Benny Gantz , have threatened to leave if the prime minister tries to find a way to once again exempt large numbers of ultra-orthodox Israelis from military service.

Scotland ’s migration minister has urged the government to expand the number of Palestinian people who can join their family in the UK , reports the Press Association.

In a letter to UK minister Tom Pursglove , Emma Roddick pushed for the Refugee Family Reunion scheme to include “immediate and extended family, including parents, children over 18, siblings and their children”. The current system allows only for partners and children under 18 to join family in the UK.

Roddick suggested the minister meet with families of people stuck in Gaza and hear their “harrowing experiences”.

According to the Press Association, Roddick also called for the Home Office to waive the need for biometric data to be collected for Palestinians looking to leave before they arrive in the UK, or to transfer those trying to come here to a site where they can make an application under the current system.

Roddick said:

The Scottish government and the Scottish Refugee Council fully support the aims of the Gaza Families Reunited campaign alongside more than 74,000 people who have signed a public petition as well as more than 75 migrants’ rights organisations and law firms across the UK. The campaign calls for a scheme to be opened for relatives of all Palestinians in the UK, not just those with refugee status. This should be open to a wider cohort of immediate and extended family, including parents, children over 18, siblings and their children.”

A spokesperson for the UK government said:

We are working around the clock to get British nationals, who want to leave, out of Gaza. We have a team on the ground in Cairo and at the Rafah crossing providing consular assistance. We currently have no plans to establish a separate route for Palestinians to come to the UK. However, any dependants of British citizens who need a visa, can apply for one.”

A spokesperson for the Gaza Families Reunited campaign said they were “pleased” Roddick was pushing for action. “We all have a right to family unity but the UK Government’s reluctance to create a Gaza Family Scheme is endangering the lives of Palestinians in Gaza and keeping families apart,” they added.

The campaign said that while the UK government had “signposted to existing routes” in response to calls for family visa schemes for Palestinians from Gaza, these were “extremely limited and simply do not work”.

“We know that at least two people have died while waiting for the Home Office to decide whether they can reunite with their loved ones in the UK. This is unconscionable,” they said.

The campaign is calling on the British government to offer a similar scheme to that which was introduced for Ukrainian families:

The British government has previously offered sanctuary to Ukrainian families under the Ukraine Family Scheme. All we are asking is that the same option is afforded to Palestinians seeking protection from bombardment and starvation, who want to reunite with their loved ones.”

Irish taoiseach and Spanish PM to discuss Palestine nation state plan

The new Irish taoiseach is to meet the Spanish prime minister to discuss their joint plan to recognise Palestine as a nation state and their attempts to force the EU to assess Israel ’s human rights obligations as a condition of their trade deal with the bloc.

Pedro Sánchez , who is due to arrive in Dublin on Friday, is the first foreign premier Simon Harris will meet since his promotion to the office of the taoiseach this week.

In the months since the Hamas attacks of 7 October and Israel’s offensive in Gaza , Spain and Ireland have emerged as the EU’s most pro-Palestinian member states.

On Thursday in Brussels , Harris said he had made clear Ireland’s position on the need for an immediate ceasefire, during a meeting with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen . He also reiterated its formal request, made with Spain two months ago, to review the Israel-EU association agreement.

“I believe the European Union must use all of the levers at its disposal [to protect the Palestinian people],” Harris said.

His remarks came as he faced sharp criticism from Israel for not mentioning the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza during his debut speech to the Irish parliament as taoiseach.

You can read more on this story here:

Opening summary

It has gone 8am in Gaza and 9am in Tel Aviv . This is our latest Guardian live blog on the Israel-Gaza war and the wider Middle East crisis.

Israel’s defence minister has said the country will respond directly to any attack on Israel by Iran , as concerns mount of Iranian retaliation over a deadly Israeli strike in Syria .

“A direct Iranian attack will require an appropriate Israeli response against Iran,” Yoav Gallant told the US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin , on Thursday, according to Gallant’s office.

Iran has vowed retaliation after Israel destroyed an Iranian consular building in Damascus on 1 April, killing seven Revolutionary Guards including two generals.

The US is seeking to deter Iran from carrying out a retaliatory strike with concerted declarations of commitment to Israeli security , while at the same time trying to prevent the outbreak of a major regional war, officials in Washington have said.

The US on Thursday restricted the movements of its diplomats in Israel over security fears, the US embassy said, with personal travel outside the Tel Aviv , Jerusalem and Beersheeva areas barred “until further notice”.

In other key developments:

The US president, Joe Biden, has pledged that Washington’s commitment to defend Israel against Iran is “ironclad” , amid rising US concerns that a “significant” Iranian strike could happen within days. The UK prime minister, meanwhile, said Iran’s threats of an attack were “unacceptable” . Rishi Sunak’s office said he reaffirmed British support for Tel Aviv’s right to defend itself.

Germany’s foreign minister called her Iranian counterpart to urge “maximum restraint ” to avoid further escalation. The US envoy to the Middle East reportedly called the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iraq asking them to deliver a message to Tehran to lower tensions with Israel. The Kremlin urged all Middle East countries to show restraint and prevent the region slipping into chaos.

The top US commander for the Middle East, Gen Erik Kurilla, is in Israel for security talks with Israeli military officials, the Pentagon has said.

Iran has signalled to Washington that it will respond to the Israeli attack in a way that aims to avoid major escalation and it will not act hastily, Iranian sources told Reuters. Tehran’s message to Washington was conveyed by Iran’s foreign minister during a visit to Oman, the sources said.

A promised surge in aid into Gaza that Benjamin Netanyahu promised Joe Biden a week ago has so far failed to materialise , aid workers say, as the US’s aid chief confirmed that famine was beginning to take hold in parts of the Palestinian territory. The increase in the number of truck crossing into Gaza claimed by Israel conflicts with UN records and already appears to be faltering. Several countries including France and Jordan airdropped about 110 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the French president and military said.

A video has surfaced of a senior official at Israel’s cyber intelligence agency, Unit 8200, talking last year about the use of machine-learning “magic powder” to help identify Hamas targets in Gaza. The footage raises questions about the Israel Defense Forces’ recent statement that it “does not use an artificial intelligence system that identifies terrorist operatives or tries to predict whether a person is a terrorist”.

Israeli forces killed three sons of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in an airstrike in Gaza without consulting senior Israeli commanders or political leaders including Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Israeli media reports. Quoting senior Israeli officials, Walla news agency said on Thursday that neither Netanyahu, the prime minister, nor Yoav Gallant had been told in advance of the strike, which was coordinated by the Israeli military and the Shin Bet intelligence service.

Haniyeh said the Israeli attack, which also killed at least two of his grandchildren, would not change Hamas’s demands for a permanent ceasefire and return of displaced Palestinians from their homes in ongoing negotiations mediated by Qatar and the US. “All our people and all the families of Gaza have paid a heavy price in blood, and I am one of them,” the militant group’s exiled political chief said from his base in Doha, the Qatari capital. The Israeli military confirmed it had targeted Haniyeh’s sons, who it described as “three Hamas operatives”. The Turkish president offered his condolences in a phone call to Haniyeh, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s office said.

At least 33,545 Palestinians have been killed and 76,094 injured in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the Gaza health ministry said on Thursday. The Hamas-run ministry does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants.

Hamas has indicated it does not have 40 captives who are still alive who meet the “humanitarian” criteria for a proposed hostages-for-prisoners ceasefire agreement with Israel. Ceasefire talks in Cairo have focused on a US-backed proposal of a phased exchange of hostages including women, children and elderly or sick people. An Israeli official confirmed claims made by Hamas in Cairo that it does not have 40 hostages in Gaza who meet the exchange criteria.

An Israeli minister has said that after Hamas’s 7 October attack there is no longer a “moral” justification to exempt ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from army service , breaking a longstanding taboo within his community. The interior minister, Moshe Arbel, is from the ultra-Orthodox party Shas. Israel’s ruling coalition has been scrambling to find a compromise on drafting the cohort after the country’s top court effectively struck down the decades-old exemption as of 1 April.

Joe Biden now understands that Benjamin Netanyahu “played” him during the early months of the war in Gaza but “that ain’t going to happen any more”, according to US senator Tim Kaine. The Democratic party’s leading foreign policy voice told the Guardian that the Israeli prime minister had made Israel “dramatically less safe” and hurt its longstanding relationship with the US.

Israeli jets hit military targets of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in the areas of Meiss el Jabal, Yarine and Khiam, as well as a Hezbollah observation post in the area of Marwahin and another compound in Al-Dahira in southern Lebanon, the Israeli military said on Thursday.

The US destroyed an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen as well as 11 Houthi drones, the military said on Thursday, after the Iran-backed group claimed it had targeted Israeli and US ships off the Gulf of Aden. US central command said no injuries or damage to vessels were reported.

Israel’s foreign ministry denounced Ireland’s new prime minister, Simon Harris, for not mentioning the hostages held by militants in Gaza during a speech to the Irish parliament.

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Train drivers strike for third time in four days

Members of the Aslef union are walking out in an almost two-year dispute over pay with no sign of a breakthrough.

News reporter @niamhielynch

Monday 8 April 2024 08:20, UK

Passengers on some of the UK's busiest rail routes will face travel chaos on Monday as train drivers are set to strike for the third time in four days.

Members of Aslef will walk out resulting in significant reductions in services, especially in East Anglia and the South East.

Train strikes: Full list of who will strike when

Aslef is embroiled in a near two-year long dispute over pay, with no sign of a breakthrough and no talks planned.

The strike will hit c2c, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia, Southeastern, Southern, South Western Railway, Great Northern and Thameslink.

What train operators are affected?

No c2c trains will run on Monday, with its managing director Rob Mullen saying he was "really disappointed" an agreement hadn't been reached.

"The impact of this ongoing action is significant for our customers and colleagues," he said.

"I'm hopeful that further meetings with the unions are productive and see progress made toward concluding this challenging time for the railway."

Gatwick Express

There will be no Gatwick Express services but Gatwick Airport will continue to be served by the limited non-stop Southern shuttle.

Great Northern

There will be no Great Northern services on Monday.

Greater Anglia

Greater Anglia said its first trains of the day will start later and last trains finish earlier than normal, excluding the Stansted Express.

An hourly train service will operate on the following Greater Anglia routes: Norwich/Colchester and London Liverpool Street, Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street, and Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street

A bi-hourly train service will run between Cambridge and London.

No other Greater Anglia services will operate on any other routes.

Southeastern

The operator said most of its routes and stations will be closed. There will be an extremely limited service where trains are running and the operator advised customers not to travel.

A statement said: "If you do travel, expect severe disruption, plan ahead and allow much more time for your journey.

"Trains that are running will be extremely busy, they start later and finish early.

"You may be unable to board trains at some stations, and we estimate that there could be queues for up to two hours due to the very limited service.

"Only 29 out of 165 Southeastern stations will be open. No rail replacement buses will serve stations that are closed."

Southern said there will be no trains running across the vast majority of its network, with a limited shuttle service running non-stop between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport.

South Western Railway

South Western Railway said a significantly reduced service will operate on a small number of lines, while the rest of its network will be closed.

Trains will only run between 7am and 7pm.

There will be no Thameslink services running, except for a limited shuttle service calling at Luton, Luton Airport Parkway and London St Pancras and another limited non-stop shuttle service between London Kings Cross and Cambridge.

The union says the dispute has cost the industry over £2bn, far more than it would have cost to resolve the conflict.

Aslef members at 16 train companies are also banning overtime on Monday and Tuesday which will further disrupt services.

More on Rail Strikes

Train strikes in April and May 2024: Full list of dates and lines affected

Train drivers at five companies vote to continue strike action for another six months - ASLEF

Rail strikes: LNER train drivers to walk out for five extra days in February

Related Topics:

• Rail strikes

Picket lines will be mounted outside the railway stations of operators affected by the strike.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said his members remained solidly behind the industrial action and criticised the government and rail companies for the lack of contact over the past year.

The government introduced a new law last year aimed at ensuring minimum levels of service during strikes, but none of the train companies have opted to use it.

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: "Train companies are working through plans to manage the unnecessary disruption to our passengers caused by this damaging industrial action.

"Minimum service levels are one potential tool for that but they are not a silver bullet.

"In the meantime, we remain committed to resolving this dispute and our offer, which would take average driver salaries to £65,000 for a four-day week without overtime, remains on the table."

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A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Aslef is the only rail union continuing to strike, targeting passengers and preventing their own members from voting on the pay offer that remains on the table.

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"Having resolved disputes with all other rail unions, the transport secretary and rail minister have ensured that a pay offer is on the table - taking train drivers' average salaries from £60,000 up to £65,000."

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Map: 4.8-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes New Jersey

By William B. Davis ,  Madison Dong ,  Judson Jones ,  John Keefe ,  Bea Malsky and Lazaro Gamio

Shake intensity

A light, 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck in New Jersey on Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake was felt across the New York City metropolitan area, and from Philadelphia to Boston.

The temblor happened at 10:23 a.m. Eastern about 4 miles north of Whitehouse Station, N.J., data from the agency shows.

As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake's reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map.

Aftershocks in the region

At 5:59 p.m. Eastern on Friday, a light aftershock with a magnitude of 3.8 struck near Gladstone, New Jersey, according to U.S.G.S. (The agency initially gave the quake a preliminary magnitude of 4.0.)

An aftershock is usually a smaller earthquake that follows a larger one in the same general area. Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.

Quakes and aftershocks within 100 miles

Aftershocks can occur days, weeks or even years after the first earthquake. These events can be of equal or larger magnitude to the initial earthquake, and they can continue to affect already damaged locations.

How this quake compares

The U.S.G.S. has logged 188 earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.5 or greater within a 250-mile radius of New York City since 1957. In that timeframe, only seven have had a magnitude at or above 4.5. Today’s quake had the third-highest magnitude in the available data.

Today’s earthquake

Magnitude 4.8

250-mile radius

from New York City

Source: U. S.G.S.

By Lazaro Gamio

Source: United States Geological Survey | Notes: Shaking categories are based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. When aftershock data is available, the corresponding maps and charts include earthquakes within 100 miles and seven days of the initial quake. All times above are Eastern. Shake data is as of Friday, April 5 at 10:44 a.m. Eastern. Aftershocks data is as of Friday, April 12 at 12:23 a.m. Eastern.

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