British peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon are on high alert this morning after Israel launched airstrikes into Lebanese territory, defying international criticism including from former US President Donald Trump. The strikes, which targeted what the Israel Defence Forces described as “Hezbollah infrastructure”, came hours after Trump publicly urged Israel to “show restraint” and avoid escalating the conflict. For the families of British troops stationed with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the development raises the spectre of a wider war that could once again draw in Western forces. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the 600 British personnel are “monitoring the situation closely” and have increased their defensive posture, though no direct threat to British forces has been identified.
The cost of this conflict is already bleeding into the real economy. Oil prices spiked by 4% on the news, threatening another squeeze on household budgets at the petrol pump and on heating bills. For working families in the north of England, where fuel price hikes hit hardest due to thinner public transport and older housing stock, the prospect of another energy price shock is a bitter pill. “We’ve just about recovered from last winter’s spike,” said Margaret Hoyle, a care worker from Rochdale. “Now this. It never stops.” The knock-on effect on supply chains is also a concern: both Israel and Lebanon are significant producers of agricultural goods, and any sustained disruption could push up food prices further.
At the centre of the political row is Trump’s blunt criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a statement to his social media platform, Trump wrote: “Israel must not get caught in the trap of endless war. It is bad for them and bad for the world.” The comments have caused simmering tension between the two allies. Meanwhile, the UK government has walked a careful line: urging de-escalation while not condemning Israel outright. Labour opposition MPs have accused the government of being “weak”, and demand a full parliamentary debate. On the streets of London, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations are expected to intensify this weekend, placing further strain on an already stretched police force and local councils having to fund extra patrols.
But the biggest losers, as always, are ordinary civilians. The Lebanese Red Cross confirmed at least 12 civilian casualties from the overnight strikes, including a mother and her three children near Tyre. The region is already reeling from a financial crisis that has pushed more than 80% of its population into poverty. For the British working class, the conflict is a distant yet deeply felt anxiety: the prospect of a draft is not on the table, but the economic drag of a drawn-out military entanglement is all too real. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research warned that a prolonged conflict could shave 0.5% off UK GDP growth this year, worsening the austerity that has hollowed out public services.
The coming days will test the resolve of British diplomacy. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has spoken to his Israeli and Lebanese counterparts, but calls for a ceasefire have so far been ignored. For now, the families of British peacekeepers wait for news, while millions more across the country nervously eye the fuel gauge in their cars and the price of a loaf of bread.
