Fred Sirieix became the third campmate to be eliminated from the Australian jungle in Tuesday night’s episode of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!.

The First Dates star, 51, lost out to Danielle Harold in the public vote after they both came in the bottom two in the latest elimination.

It comes after Nella Rose was the second star to be eliminated on Monday, while jockey Frankie Dettori was the first to go home in the public vote.

Jamie Lynn Spears and Grace Dent both previously exited the jungle after separately quitting on medical grounds, with just seven campmates now remaining.

Fred had a drama-filled time in camp after clashing with Nigel Farage over Brexit, rowing with Josie Gibson about the cooking and being confronted by Nella in the ‘Dadgate’ row.

Fred Sirieix became the third campmate to be eliminated from the Australian jungle in Tuesday night’s episode of I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! 

Fred has had a drama-filled time in the jungle after clashing with Nigel Farage over Brexit, rowing with Josie Gibson about the cooking and being confronted by Nella in the ‘Dadgate’ row

The First Dates star, 51, lost out to Danielle Harold in the public vote after they both came in the bottom two in the latest elimination

After the spate of drama, many viewers took to social media after Fred’s exit to admit they were pleased to see him go as they branded him as ‘bossy’.

One said: ‘Not really surprising its Fred, his really let himself down with the way his been acting recently tho it has caused tension, drama and been entertaining which has been great.’ 

Another wrote: ‘Hallelujah Fred has gone!!! He thought he was everything in there….bossy as f**k!!!’ while a third tweeted: ‘ SOOOOO glad Fred has gone! Can’t be arsed to hear him any longer.’ 

A fourth penned: ‘ Fred could of easily been Top 3… Think he ruined it with the whole dinner gate!’ 

Another added: ‘I had Fred down as a finalist but I think last couple of shows he didn’t do himself any favours. I still like him.’ 

However, some viewers also jumped to his defence as they argued there were other campmates who deserved to be eliminated rather than Fred. 

One wrote: ‘Actually didn’t want Fred to go just yet. He’s just passionate,’ and a second said: ‘ Aww I’m acc sad Fred left.’ 

Another added: ‘Sad to see Fred leave the camp tbh. There are others who have provided a lot less to the show.’

Leaving the camp, Fred was then sweetly reunited with Fruitcake as she ran towards him and the pair shared a close embrace and a kiss

Fred looked dismayed as it was announced that he would be the latest star to leave I’m A Celebrity 

Fred hugged his campmates including Marvin Humes as he quickly said his goodbyes after being announced as the latest star to leave the show 

After his eviction, Fred joined Ant and Dec to look back on his time in the jungle and spoke about his struggle to let go of control in the kitchen – which saw him branded by fans as ‘controlling’ and ‘misogynistic’.

The maître d’hôtel and professional chef previously clashed with Josie as he hit out at her cooking skills while struggling to let go of his former camp chef role.

Doubling down on his views after his elimination, Fred said: ‘[Josie] doesn’t know what she does in the kitchen, she makes it up as she goes along.’

‘You really need the calories, and you’ve got to find them whenever you can. I think we missed out on quiet a few meals [by not recycling ingredients],’ he added.

When asked why he didn’t get involved as much with Sam Thompson and Nick Pickard’s cooking, he said they were a ‘dream’ and there was ‘no need’ for him to do so.

Asked how he found the tricky challenges on the show, Fred insisted he had been vigorously training for his stint in the jungle and told how he found most of it ‘easy’. 

‘I found it quiet easy because I prepared myself mentally, I was really thinking… the challenges I found it quite easy actually because I was quite focused,’ he said.

‘The physical training helps you with the mental side of things, because it’s about the focus, and when you do that repeatedly, you get into that mindset and you keep going.’

When asked about his up-and-down relationship with Nigel Farage in the camp, Fred insisted their time together hadn’t swayed him on their political differences.

After his eviction, Fred joined Ant and Dec to look back on his time in the Australian jungle and spoke about his struggle to let go of control in the kitchen

The maître d’hôtel and professional chef previously clashed with Josie Gibson as he hit out at her cooking skills 

Doubling down on his views after his elimination, Fred said: ‘[Josie] doesn’t know what she does in the kitchen, she makes it up as she goes along’ 

He said: ‘It was great in the camp because I’m a do-er and Nigel is a do-er… but there is a side of Nigel Farage that I won’t and will never connect with.’ 

The pair got into a fierce debate over Brexit in a recent episode which saw Fred accuse the former UKIP leader of ‘talking b*******’, but they also bonded over the cleanliness of the camp.

Upon his exit, Fred also spoke about how he tried to just live in the moment during his time on the show, rather than dwelling on missing his fiancée Fruitcake.

He said: ‘I was really living in the moment, I did not think about home, I did not think about work… I just ploughed through.’ 

Leaving the camp, Fred was then sweetly reunited with Fruitcake as she ran towards him and the pair shared a close embrace, before smiling on the bridge together.

Fred’s elimination came after fans accused him of ‘controlling’ behaviour in Tuesday’s episode as Sam and Nick took the reins as camp chefs.

Fred was originally camp chef and since having to relinquish his responsibility to others, he has become increasingly irate and been branded ‘controlling’ by viewers.

It even saw him become embroiled in a ‘sexism’ row after many watching accused him of being ‘misogynistic’ towards presenter Josie, 38, while she made dinner.

The chores were decided by them as follows: camp chefs: Sam and Nick, washing up: Tony Bellew and Marvin Humes, camp water and dunny: Fred and Marvin while Nigel and Fred were on camp maintenance.

Seeing their choices Sam reacted excitedly: ‘No way!’

In the Bush Telegraph Sam later said: ‘I’ll be like the clown in the kitchen so Nick can get on and do what he needs and I’ll distract Fred. 

‘But also, I’m incredibly nervous. I’m not a very good cook.’

Nigel then said in the Bush Telegraph: ‘I think that Nick is going to be on the front line of this with Sam as sous chef. What will be interesting is to watch how Fred comments on Sam’s food preparation.’ 

Nick in Bush Telegraph later commented: ‘I do like a bit of cooking, but after the exploits of the last couple of evenings of Fred and Josie, I’m a little bit nervous. 

When asked why he didn’t get involved as much with Sam Thompson and Nick Pickard’s cooking, he said they were a ‘dream’ and there was ‘no need’ for him to do so 

Fred’s elimination came after fans accused him of ‘controlling’ behaviour in Tuesday’s episode as Sam and Nick took the reins as camp chefs 

Sam said: ‘I’ll be like the clown in the kitchen so Nick can get on and do what he needs and I’ll distract Fred’ as Nick added: ‘What will be interesting is to watch how Fred comments on Sam’s food preparation’

Fred was seen planting a kiss on his fiancée Fruitcake’s head as she met him on the bridge after his exit 

The pair were seen grinning for the cameras as they appeared overjoyed to be reunited 

Fred gave a salute as he walked the iconic bridge and exited the jungle 

The fireworks went off on the bridge as he walked down following his elimination 

‘Fred’s bound to start barking at us now. Hopefully he’ll give us a bit of guidance and then leave us alone.’

Fred was accused of ‘misogyny’ in recent episodes after his behaviour towards his female co-stars left fans branding him ‘unbearable’.

It comes after Nella was eliminated from the camp on Monday and held her hands to her mouth in shock and appeared totally floored by the news. 

The influencer’s time in the jungle was a controversial one after her numerous rows with Nigel Farage and Fred Siriex led to 2,000 Ofcom complaints. 

Despite the tensions Nella said a fond farewell to all her campmates as Tony Bellow told her: ‘You are a winner, you’ve done amazing.’

She came in the bottom two alongside Marvin Humes and viewers were left in shock on Monday as he narrowly avoided being eliminated.

Viewers at home were in disbelief that Marvin had ended up in the bottom two of the public vote, thinking that he would’ve been safe over other campmates.

One person took to Twitter to ask: ‘Someone explain why Marvin was in the bottom 2’ while another echoed: ‘WHY WAS MARVIN IN THE BOTTOM TWO??????’

A third fan wrote: ‘Get Marvin some more screen time. Can’t believe he was in the bottom two! He’s such a good guy’.

Someone else agreed, tweeting: ‘what do you mean “marvin…. it might be you”… and still not nigel??? gave two of my votes to marvin. he cant leave yet.. he needs to be in the final with sam’.

When asked about his up-and-down relationship with Nigel Farage in the camp, Fred insisted their time together hadn’t swayed him on their political differences

The pair got into a fierce debate over Brexit12820847 in a recent episode which saw Fred accuse the former UKIP leader of ‘talking b*******’ 

Elewhere, Fred left his fellow campmates – particularly Josie Gibson – in hysterics in Tuesday’s episode as he sang Don’t Worry, Be Happy out of tune in the Jungle Arms 

It comes after Nella Rose (pictured) was the second star to be eliminated on Monday, while jockey Frankie Dettori was the first to go home in the public vote 

She came in the bottom two alongside Marvin Humes and viewers were left in shock on Monday as he narrowly avoided being eliminated, thinking that he would have been safe

A fifth added: ‘Omg the stress I felt when Marvin nearly went’ while a sixth said: ‘Whoa how was it nearly Marvin?!!! No way can he leave early at all!’ 

A seventh person begged: ‘pls can everyone vote for Marvin I can’t deal with him going home yet pls idk how he was in the bottom two’.

While another said: ‘Nigel was safe but it might’ve been Marvin?!’ and a ninth wrote: ‘WHY HAVE YOU GOT MARVIN IN THE BOTTOM TWO??? OVER FRED??? OVER NIGEL???’

And another admitted: ‘heart actually dropped when they said it may have been marvin, that man deserves to stay to the end’.

After her exit, Nella joined hosts Ant & Dec where she was greeted with a glass of orangeade rather than the usual champagne. 

Nella previously made headlines after lashing out at Fred, 51, for saying he could ‘be her father’ because of their 25-year age gap, claiming it was disrespectful because hours earlier she had told the campmates that she had lost both her parents.

Recalling the incident she said: ‘I just feel that in the middle of an argument or a disagreement, you shouldn’t bring up personal, sensitive topics, and I feel that in the middle of a disagreement, he brought up a sensitive topic.

‘I didn’t understand why he would do that to somebody that he doesn’t know [well].’ 

Nella’s time in the jungle has been a controversial one after her numerous rows with nemesis Nigel Farage (pictured) and Fred Siriex led to 2,000 Ofcom complaints

When Dec then asked if maybe the uproar was just a ‘misunderstanding’ Nella replied: ‘It could have been! But things are so heightened in the jungle that everything is a big thing.’ 

She also came to blows with former Brexit Leader Nigel Farage over the subject of immigration and racism. 

After the hosts showed clips of the clashes Nella exclaimed: ‘Oh my god, you used everything. I am not usually put in situations where people don’t have opinions in the same walk of life.’

‘So when they have different mindsets, and I hear them, I’m shocked because I’m not used to hearing people think like this. So automatically, you have to say something about it because what they’ve said to me it’s kind of shocking sometimes. But it is what it is.’

I’m A Celebrity 2023: Meet the campmates

NIGEL FARAGE

Claim to fame: Former leader of the UK Independence Party  and leader of the Brexit Party.

Phobias: Nobody likes rats, snakes and I am dreading anything to do with heights.

Biggest misconception you want to dispel?: I have been demonised over the years and so it will be nice to show people I am not nasty. 

Role in camp: Lead on starting up plenty of campfire discussions. 

Aside from your family, what will you miss the most whilst in camp?: A pint in the pub and the news. 

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Best & worst attributes: I hope to cheer people up when they are down. Worst? I am impatient and I do snore. 

Dream camper: As a controversial political media figure, I never name names… But I am looking forward to meeting interesting people from all different fields 

DANIELLE HAROLD

Claim to fame: EastEnders actress.

Phobias: Rats. I hate them! 

Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle?: I can be a little ditzy at times but I am definitely not a ‘dumb blonde’. I want to show I can do the trials, challenges and get stuck in. 

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Role in camp: Shoulder to cry on, help others if they are feeling low in camp. 

Aside from family, what will you miss most whilst in camp?: Snacking. I am a little muncher and I am going to miss my morning cup of tea, too! 

Best & worst attributes: I’d like to think I will be good if people are really struggling. I am not, however, very good at being bored, nor am I a morning person either. 

Dream camper: Ed Sheeran. If he brings his guitar into camp, he can sing for us.

FRED SIRIEIX – LEFT!

Claim to fame: First Dates star.

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Phobias: I am scared of everything. I am dying to find out how vile the food will be! 

Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle?: I don’t think there is anything but I am looking forward to learning more about myself during my time in the camp. 

Role in camp: I will definitely muck in with all the jobs. I don’t mind cooking or cleaning the toilets. 

Aside from your family, what will you miss the most whilst in camp? My bed. It’s super comfy. I will also miss a cup of coffee in the morning. 

Best & worst attributes: I like to have fun but I do snore and I am impatient! 

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Dream camper: It’s going to be nice to meet everyone but I’d love to see Dolly Parton, The Rock or Snoop Dog in there.

NELLA ROSE – LEFT!

Claim to fame: YouTuber and Catfish UK star. 

Phobias: I am fearful of everything! 

Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle? I am a pretty open book. 

Role in camp: Keep the morale and humour high.

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Aside from your family, what will you miss the most whilst in camp? My phone… I am always on it! 

Dream camper: Alison Hammond or Adele. 

NICK PICKARD

Claim to fame: Hollyoaks star. 

Phobias: I am a bit scared of the dark. When you go to the House of Horrors at Halloween and things jump out at you, I am not very good when I can’t see! 

Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle: It will be nice to go in as me and not as my Hollyoaks character. 

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Role in camp: Grafter or chef, I am quite good at cooking. But I’ve never cooked on a fire before. Aside from family, what will you miss most whilst in camp: Football and my creature comforts. 

Best & worst attributes: I’d like to think I am a nice person and a good team player. I am not lazy but I do have a few bad habits like picking my nose. My girlfriend has been trying to train me to stop! 

Dream camper: Sir Alex Ferguson or Neil Warnock. 

FRANKIE DETTORI – LEFT!

Claim to fame: Champion Jockey

Phobias: I am not sure as I don’t walk across rooftop planks in the middle of the day nor do I have any snakes or rats in the house!

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Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle: None. I’ve lived in the public domain for as long as I can remember so I’d hope everyone knows me well.

Role in camp: To have fun with everyone, I am a happy-go- lucky person.

Aside from your family, what will you miss the most whilst in camp? Travelling. I have spent my whole life at airports and I’ve got to like it!

Best & worst attributes: I am outgoing and I am a fighter. Worst? I can’t sit still and I am impatient.

Dream camper: Robbie Williams would be fun.

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JAMIE LYNN SPEARS – LEFT!

Claim to fame: Zoey 101 and Sweet Magnolias star.

 Phobias: I am scared of everything.

Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle?: I think this is a nice chance to show who I really am.

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Role in camp: Hopefully I will be the one who can support everyone. 

Aside from family, what will you miss the most whilst in camp? A normal bathroom, air conditioning and my bed. 

Best & worst attributes: I think my best quality is it takes a lot to hurt my feelings; but I am impatient and my family would say I get in a bad mood a lot. 

Dream camper: Nicole Kidman, she is my favourite actress in the whole wide world, or Reece Witherspoon.

SAM THOMPSON

Claim to fame: Made In Chelsea star and radio presenter. 

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Phobias: I am not a creepy crawly guy and I hate anyone or anything touching my neck. 

Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle?: Since the age of 21, I’ve spent my whole life on TV and so I feel whether people have a good or bad opinion of me, it’s probably warranted!

Role in camp: I’m a ‘yes’ man so cooking, cleaning I will do whatever they want me to do. 

Aside from family, what will you miss most whilst in camp?: I know this sounds lame but gaming. 

Best & worst attributes: I’d like to think I am the court jester and I don’t take things too seriously, so if anyone is having a bad day I would like to put a smile on their face. Worst? I am quite forgetful and I am bad at focusing on things. 

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Dream camper: Stephen Fry. I think I would self-combust if he was going in the jungle! 

JOSIE GIBSON

Claim to fame: This Morning presenter.

Phobias: Insects and I freeze every time I see a spider and I am not sure what I am going to do if I am in a trial with them! 

Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle?: I would like people to know I am very clever at knowing useless information! 

Role in camp: Mum. I am very motherly and I also love chatting to people. 

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Aside from family, what will you miss most whilst in camp?: Getting up to blow dry my hair and putting a bit of make-up on! 

Best & worst attributes: I am an optimist and I love meeting people from all walks of life. Worst? I can be quite nosey and I am worried about my temper if I am too hungry. 

Dream camper: Dawn French, I love her. 

MARVIN HUMES

Claim to fame: JLS star.

Phobias: Heights. I have pulled out of a skydive with JLS in the past because I was too scared! 

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Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle: To show I am not just a member of a boy band. It will be nice for people to learn more about me. 

Role in camp: I’d like to think I will be a shoulder to cry on and a mediator. 

Aside from family, what will you miss most whilst in camp?: My fantasy football app! I am obsessed with it! Four weeks without music is a long time, too. 

Best & worst attributes: I’ve got three children under the age of ten and you definitely need a lot of patience for that! Worst? Rochelle would probably say I get ‘hangry’ if I don’t have enough food. 

Dream camper: Paddy McGuinness – I’ve done Soccer Aid with him before and I know he’s funny, he gets stuck in and he is hands on.

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GRACE DENT – LEFT!

Claim to fame: MasterChef star and food critic. 

Phobias: Horrible people. 

Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle: People think I am quite forthright and scary but I don’t think I am scary! Hopefully people will see this. 

Role in camp: Shoulder to cry on and I am a practical cook so I can help out. 

Aside from your family, what will you miss the most whilst in camp? My three cats and my make-up bag. I love a bit of glamour. 

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Best & worst attributes: I would like to think I am funny! My worst quality is lack of sleep. I like my sleep. 

Dream camper: Queen Camilla. She would be very practical. And Madonna – she could perform tracks from her Greatest Hits tour! 

TONY BELLEW

Claim to fame: Former champion boxer

Phobias: Like most normal people, I am scared of almost everything.

Biggest misconception you want to dispel in the jungle: People will portray me as something I am not because of the profession I have had. I am just a normal person.

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Role in camp: I’d like to think I am domesticated so hopefully I can help out.

Best & worst attributes: I do get hangry…who doesn’t! But I am easy going and I get on with everyone.

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Ahead of its official launch today, MailOnline has tried out EE TV, the latest subscription platform that offers content under one roof. 

EE TV – from the telco that’s owned by British giant BT – puts films and TV shows together in one slick interface.

That’s regardless of whether it’s the live broadcast from BBC One or Channel 4, or the latest on-demand show from Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime. 

Unlike Sky Glass, EE TV is not an actual television but a new subscription package that combines an app with a choice of set-top box. 

It is tied to EE’s broadband service – so in effect EE TV is designed to entice people who are with a rival broadband operator, like Sky or Virgin Media. 

On the homepage of the EE TV app, users are presented with the content they’ve been watching from the various apps all in one place – whether it’s BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video – together with shows that are being broadcasted live

The cost of EE TV depends on the package you choose – for example the sports package with four TNT Sports channels giving access to the Premier League is £18 per month. 

However, the various streaming services on offer through EE TV – Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ to name a few – are priced separately. 

Sachin Joshi, head of products at EE, said the new product has been designed as a ‘new way to enjoy TV’ because it cuts out the jumping between separate apps on a smart TV. 

‘EE TV blurs the lines between live linear television and on-demand,’ he told MailOnline at BT’s new global headquarters in Aldgate, London. 

‘It’s putting control into the customer’s hands.’ 

EE TV features a full TV guide for a ‘comprehensive live TV experience’ just like regular broadcast TV. 

But its homescreen boasts a scroll-down menu and numerous carousels – many of which separate available content by category, such as sports and films.

Little promo boxes for each TV show or film – similar to the layout on Netflix – include a logo of the provider in the corner (e.g. ITVx, BBC iPlayer, TNT Sports). 

EE TV has a familiar scroll-down menu and numerous carousels – many of which separate available content by category, such as sports and films. Under the screen are three set-top boxes – TV Box Pro (centre), TV Box Mini (left) and Apple TV 4K (right)

Unlike Sky Glass , EE TV is not an actual television but a new subscription package that combines an app with a choice of set-top box

People who want to switch telco provider to EE can choose between multiple set-top boxes from the telco if they fancy trying EE TV. 

EE’s main box is the TV Box Pro, which streams content in 4K and lets users pause and rewind TV, as well as record up to 600 hours of TV on up to four channels at the same time.

With the EE TV Box Pro, it can connect via an aerial to get the free to air channels – so if the internet stops working users can still watch live TV the old-fashioned way.

In addition, customers can opt for a smaller box, TV Box Mini, which doesn’t allow live recording but still plays content in 4K. 

TV Box Mini can also be an additional device for another room at no extra cost – so for example people who have a second TV in their kitchen or study. 

Thirdly, customers also have the option to access EE TV through their Apple TV 4K, Apple’s set-top box that comes with its own remote. 

For users of Apple’s set-top box, EE TV appears as an app along with the likes of BBC iPlayer and Netflix, as well as apps for Apple services such as FaceTime App Store and Apple Music. 

Pictured, EE’s smaller box, TV Box Mini, which doesn’t allow live recording but still plays content in 4K

The EE TV app (pictured here) launches on Apple TV 4K. Click on the EE TV app and it brings up a live TV guide

Apple TV and EE TV appear as apps along with the likes of BBC iPlayer and Netflix, as well as apps for Apple services such as FaceTime App Store and Apple Music 

EE TV is a rebranded version of BT TV, but existing BT TV customers don’t need to do anything – their service is just going to be renamed. 

Anyone who is a BT TV customer will notice the rebrand to EE TV from today (Wednesday) when they switch on their machine. 

EE TV is part of a major rebrand effort from the BT Group, which earlier this year changed the name of BT Sports to TNT Sports. 

The creation of a new brand follows last year’s acquisition of BT Sport by Warner Brothers Discovery, who also own Eurosport, in a deal worth up to £650million. 

Bakewell, a Derbyshire market town popular with tourists, is famous for its delicious tarts and puddings. 

So popular is its produce that The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop does a roaring trade posting its wares all over the UK.

Yet Bakewell is currently attracting nationwide attention because it is about to lose something no other town or village has in the vast Peak District National Park — a bank branch.

In late February next year, its NatWest branch will shut for good leaving Bakewell and the National Park — all 555 square miles of it — bankless.

The impending closure has annoyed everyone among the town’s eclectic mix of independent retailers, constituency MP Sarah Dines, local councillors, residents and the farming community. 

More than half of the country’s bank and building society branches have shut since January 2015, leaving just short of 3,900 still open and not (yet) scheduled for closure

And bank branch staff have been left in tears over NatWest’s decision to shut up shop.

Of course, Bakewell isn’t unique. High streets up and down the country have been damaged by bank branch closures. 

Yet having spent Monday in the picturesque (and freezing cold) town speaking to locals and traders — and visiting its livestock market — it begs one big question. 

If the banks have concluded that Bakewell can’t support a branch, which community can outside the cities and big towns?

To put it bluntly, the big banks — internet and mobile app crazy — seem to want out of the High Street altogether.

‘It’s a crazy decision,’ says Georgie Stewart, co-owner of gift shop Stewarts of Bakewell, located just yards from the bank.

‘We’ve banked with NatWest forever and a day. Now, some bean counter in London has decided that the branch here must shut.’

She adds: ‘Although NatWest may argue otherwise, they don’t seem to care and they don’t understand what the branch means to the community — to businesses like mine which need to bank takings on a regular basis and the many residents who still prefer face-to-face banking.

‘The thought of Bakewell without a bank is an unbearable one.’

Of course, branch closures are nothing new. Money Mail and The Mail on Sunday have been reporting on this for more than 20 years — triggered in part by the decision of Barclays to shut 171 branches, all on one day — April 7 — in 2000.

Upheaval: Matt Fitz, of the Cornish Bakery in Bakewell

According to consumer group Which?, over half of the country’s bank and building society branches have shut since January 2015, leaving just short of 3,900 still open and not (yet) scheduled for closure.

Alarming? Yes. But there is worse to come. As the big banks increasingly drive customers towards mobile phone banking, the death of the bank branch outside cities and big towns is fast approaching.

Data collated by cash machine network Link indicates that, since May last year, 1,259 branches have shut — or are due to close between now and late next year. In the past month alone, more than 100 closures have been announced by Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest.

You don’t need to be an actuary to do the maths. If the current closure rate were to be maintained, most of the country could be without a nearby bank by the end of 2028.

It’s not a good outlook. There are some 300 communities that like Bakewell are currently served by just one bank branch. All the evidence suggests that most of these will suffer the same fate as the Derbyshire town and lose their last remaining branch in the coming year.

As the graphic shows, towns including Dolgellau, Gwynedd; Erskine, Renfrewshire; Glossop, Derbyshire; Portishead, Somerset; and Guisborough, North Yorkshire, are all at threat of losing their last bank.

Analysts believe communities with either Lloyds (including the bank’s other brands Halifax and Bank of Scotland) or NatWest (Ulster Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland) as the last bank in town are in danger of becoming bankless. 

This is because these two groups have, until recently, been less aggressive than rivals Barclays and HSBC in shutting branches.

Campaign: Mark Wakeman, with a petition to halt the NatWest closure, outside his pet supplies shop in Bakewell

Link says more than a quarter of the 1,259 branches closed — or put on notice of closure — in the past 20 months have been last banks in town.

Although a newish agreement between the banks and organisations representing the elderly and small businesses is meant to ensure bankless communities have continued High Street access to cash, it’s not proving as effective as some would like.

Link’s data shows that only half of these bankless towns (176 out of 341) have been given — or promised — support by Cash Access UK, set up and funded by the banks to protect communities from the impact of branch closures.

This support is in the form of a banking hub, a shared branch operated by the Post Office with representatives from the major banks available to help customers. Alternatively, it may be a new cash machine or a cash deposit service (aimed at small retailers).

Even when a replacement service is agreed, it can take an age to come on stream. So while 63 hubs have been earmarked for communities hit by the loss of their last bank, only 19 are currently operational.

The delays are a result of difficulty in finding suitable premises and inadequate resources made available to Cash Access UK by the banks.

Last week, Labour promised to ‘accelerate’ the rollout of hubs if it wins the next general election — and legislate to eradicate ‘banking deserts’. It said it would help establish at least 350 hubs countrywide.

Derek French, a long-standing campaigner for shared bank branches, welcomes Labour’s announcement. He has become increasingly frustrated by the slow appearance of hubs.

He says: ‘Hubs will save the banks millions of pounds in branch costs. So they should commit far more financial resource and energy to Cash Access UK, thereby enabling it to put in place more shared branches where customers can obtain face-to-face advice.’

Access to high street banking could become a greater political issue as the election edges nearer. Research by analytics company SAS shows that 28 constituencies (out of a total 650) are already devoid of banks run by the top-seven bank and building society names — Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander.

Yet if constituencies continue to lose branches at the same rate as in the past three years, it says a further ten could become bankless next year. They include the constituencies of Conservative MPs Mel Stride (Central Devon) and Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury).

The impending closure of NatWest’s Bakewell branch has certainly annoyed Sarah Dines, Tory MP for Derbyshire Dales.

Seven days ago, armed with a petition containing hundreds of signatures opposing the bank’s closure, she raised the issue with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the House of Commons. She did not hold back.

‘As disturbed as I was [that] British politicians were being debanked by NatWest, you can imagine my horror that an entire town, Bakewell in Derbyshire Dales, is being debanked by NatWest.’

She added: ‘Can you share my concern please that as we are the national shareholder of NatWest, why are they ignoring my vulnerable, elderly people and also businessmen. It is a big, thriving market town.’

The PM responded by saying that the banks would be funding a new cash deposit service in the town — useful for retailers to bank takings. He also said Bakewell, like most towns, has a post office that bank customers can use.

This did not go down well with Mark Wakeman, a district and town councillor, whom I met on Monday in between negotiating the town’s icy pavements and struggling to keep my fingers and toes vaguely warm.

‘I would like Mr Sunak to visit our post office,’ he told me. ‘Pleasant though the staff are, it invariably has a queue. Indeed, if the queue exceeds five, customers are asked to wait outside. There is also no personal banking advice available which NatWest customers can get at the branch in town.’

No one I met in Bakewell was prepared to defend NatWest’s decision. Matt Fitz, of the Cornish Bakery, said he had responded to the closure announcement by going cashless — despite the promised cash deposit service. 

‘I’m not queuing 45 minutes to bank cash takings at the post office,’ he told me. ‘Eighty per cent of my takings were cash based, so my business could well suffer. But NatWest has forced me down this route.’

Endangered: The death of the bank branch outside the cities and big towns is fast approaching as big banks increasingly drive customers towards mobile phone banking

At Bakewell Market, the farmers present — most selling or buying livestock — vented their spleen.

‘I’ve banked with NatWest all my working life,’ said Peter Atkin, whose farm is just off the Snake Pass — often impassable in snow.

‘I don’t have wifi where I live so, for banking, I use a branch including the one in Bakewell.

‘Sadly, banks are now all about profit and greed and nothing to do with customer service. Loyalty no longer pays. Am I angry? Yes. Will I survive? Of course. I’ll just have to find another NatWest branch.’

For the record, NatWest says that when it closes branches, it ensures no customer is left behind. 

A notice in the branch window advises customers that in February, their nearest branch will be Chesterfield, 13 miles away. Alternatively they can bank online or via an app.

But how long before the Chesterfield branch shuts? Not long given the current rate of closures.

jeff.prestridge@dailymail.co.uk

Issued on: 05/12/2023 – 16:11

2 min

The Rwanda plan is at the centre of the government’s strategy to cut migration and is being watched closely by other countries considering similar policies.

The United Kingdom’s Supreme Court last month ruled that such a move would violate international human rights laws enshrined in domestic legislation.

The new treaty will include an agreement that Rwanda would not expel asylum seekers to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened – one of the court’s major concerns.

There will also be a monitoring committee to enable individuals to lodge confidential complaints directly to them and a new appeal body made up of judges from around the world.

Cleverly said there was now no “credible” reason to block the deportation flights because the treaty addressed all the issues raised by the Supreme Court and no extra money had been given to Rwanda to upgrade the deal from the existing memorandum of understanding.

“I really hope that we can now move quickly,” Cleverly told a press conference in Rwanda’s capital Kigali.

Many lawyers and charities said it was unlikely that deportation flights could start before next year’s election. The opposition Labour Party, which has a double-digit lead in the polls, plans to ditch the Rwanda policy if it wins.

Under the plan agreed last year, Britain intends to send thousands of asylum seekers who arrived on its shores without permission to Rwanda to deter migrants crossing the Channel from Europe in small boats.

In return, Rwanda has received an initial payment of 140 million pounds ($180 million) with the promise of more money to fund the accommodation and care of any deported individuals.

Pressure

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under intense pressure to cut net migration, which hit a record 745,000 last year, with the vast majority coming through legal routes.

“Stop the boats” is one of five goals Sunak set for his government, to end the flow of asylum seekers who pay people smugglers for their Channel crossings, often in overcrowded boats that are not seaworthy.

The Supreme Court ruled against the Rwanda plan because there was a risk that deported refugees would have their claims wrongly assessed or returned to their country of origin to face persecution.

The new treaty is expected to be followed later this week by the publication of legislation declaring Rwanda a so-called safe country, designed to stop legal challenges against the planned deportation flights.

However, this is likely to trigger a new round of political and legal wrangling. The first flight was scheduled to go last summer but was cancelled at the last moment because of legal challenges.

Sarah Gogan, an immigration lawyer at Harbottle & Lewis, said Rwanda’s human rights record meant the government’s policy would be challenged.

“Rwanda is an unsafe country and this is not a quick fix,” she said. “You cannot in a matter of weeks or months reform a country and turn it into one with an impartial judiciary and administrative culture.”

Yvette Cooper, Labour’s home affairs spokeswoman, dismissed the government’s latest plans as another “gimmick”.

(Reuters)

• Watch Brian Grubb’s fearless stunt on top of Address Beach Resort, in Dubai 

By Matt Strudwick

Published: 19:55 EST, 4 December 2023 | Updated: 12:24 EST, 5 December 2023

This is the moment a daredevil wakeskates along the world’s highest infinity pool in Dubai  – before plunging off the side of the building. 

American Brian Grubb was pulled along the 311ft long rooftop pool by a custom drone at the Address Beach Resort. 

The video shows the three-time world wakeskate champion speeding and swerving along the water. 

A ramp can be seen at the end of the pool which he then mounts and uses to launch himself off the side of the 96ft high 77-storey twin tower building in a heart stopping moment. 

He can be seen hurtling towards the ground with his arms and legs flailing before he ejects his Red Bull branded parachute and safely glides to sand below.  

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American Brian Grubb pulled off the fearless stunt on top of the world’s highest infinity pool in Dubai

The heart-stopping footage showed the daredevil speeding along the 311ft long rooftop pool before he mounts a ramp at the end

The fearless stunt was the first-ever combined wakeskate base jump which has been dubbed as ‘WakeBase’. 

Brian told The Guardian: ‘I just started ten years or so ago as a pipe dream and it has been a dream of mine to do this since then. 

‘It’s been a long time coming we had to build a drone that could pull us so I had to get more proficient at base jumping.

‘And then we found this awesome location here in Dubai and we put everything together and we just pulled off the sickest thing I’ve ever done on a wakeskate for sure.’

People reacted in awe of the jaw-dropping stunt after it was posted on Red Bull’s Instagram page. 

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One person wrote: ‘Was not expecting that. So sick!’ 

While another thought it ‘was insane, the angle gave me butterflies as he went down the building’. 

Brian hurtles towards the ground after launching himself off the top of the Address Beach Resort building (left) before ejecting a parachute and safely gliding to the ground below (right)

An ecstatic Brian is congratulated on the sandy beach after he completes the first ever combined wakeskate base jump 

A third described it as an ‘iconic’ moment while a fourth felt like they had followed right behind him and jumped off the building themselves. 

‘You’re so gnarly dude! So stoked to see you finally get this done! So sick!!!,’ another said. 

Brian, who first started base jumping in 2008, added: ‘The idea of being able to put these two sports together and take them to new places was the ultimate appeal. 

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‘No one had ever done it before so to push my limits like this was exciting.’

Issued on: 05/12/2023 – 21:34Modified: 05/12/2023 – 21:52

A court ruling ordered the immediate release of Fujimori, who was president of Peru from 1990 to 2000 and jailed since 2009 over massacres committed by army death squads in 1991 and 1992 in which 25 people were killed in supposed anti-terrorist operations against the Marxist-leaning Shining Path guerrillas.

The former president received a presidential pardon in 2017, but pressure from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) repeatedly snarled his attempts to regain freedom.

The court ruled Fujimori’s immediate release from the detention centre where he is being held.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP & Reuters)

Opting for a vegetarian or vegan diet could be preventing women from getting all the nutrients they need for a healthy pregnancy, research suggests.

Most women are not consuming the essential vitamins they need and this could worsen as more people opt for plant-based diets, a study found.

It specifically looked for vitamins found in meat and dairy products, such as vitamins D, B12 and B6, folic acid and riboflavin.

Folic acid and B12 help prevent birth defects such as spina bifida, vitamin D helps to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy, and riboflavin supports the growth of bone, muscle and nerves in babies in the womb.

Most women are not consuming the essential vitamins they need and this could worsen as more people opt for plant-based diets, a study found

Researchers said the amount of vitamins available in over-the-counter products ‘substantially reduced the prevalence of deficiency’ before and during pregnancy (Stock Image)

Researchers found that more than 90 per cent of the group had marginal or low concentrations of one or more of the vitamins, with many developing markers of B6 deficiency in late pregnancy.

Keith Godfrey, lead author of the study and professor of epidemiology at the University of Southampton, said: ‘The push to reduce our dependence on meat and dairy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions is likely to further deplete expecting mothers of vital nutrients, which could have lasting effects on unborn children.’

The cohort was divided into two; an intervention group of 870 women and a control group of 859 women.

Both groups received supplements containing 400mg folic acid, 12mg iron, 150mg calcium, 150mg iodine and 720mg beta-carotene.

However, the control group’s supplement also included 1.8mg riboflavin, 2.6 mg vitamin B6, 5.2mg vitamin B12, 10mg vitamin D and 10mg zinc, as well as myo-inositol and probiotics.

WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE? 

• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count;
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain;
• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on;
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options;
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily);
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts;
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day;
• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day.

Source: NHS Eatwell Guide 

Blood samples were collected prior to conception, early pregnancy, late pregnancy and six months after their babies were born.

Researchers said the amount of vitamins available in over-the-counter products ‘substantially reduced the prevalence of deficiency’ before and during pregnancy.

They added: ‘In the setting of increasing advocacy for more diets that are likely to be less nutrient dense, the findings suggest a need to reappraise dietary recommendations for preconception and pregnancy and to consider further the role of multiple micronutrient supplements in women living in higher-income countries.’

According to NHS England, women hoping to get pregnant should take 400mg of folic acid every day from before pregnancy until they are 12 weeks pregnant to reduce the risk of problems with their baby’s development.

A daily vitamin D supplement is also recommended.

Prof Godfrey added: ‘Our study shows that almost every woman trying to conceive had insufficient levels of one or more vitamin, and this figure is only going to get worse as the world moves towards plant-based diets.

‘People think that nutrient deficiency only affects people in underdeveloped countries – but it is also affecting the majority of women living in high-income nations.’

Professor Ian Givens, director of the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health at the University of Reading, said: ‘This study is very timely and should provide the impetus to reassess dietary provision of key nutrients before and during pregnancy.

‘In UK omnivores, dairy foods, meat and fish provide about 80 per cent of dietary vitamin B12 and meat, eggs and fish provide about 65 per cent of dietary vitamin D although dietary supply only provides about three micrograms per day, meaning that supplementary vitamin D is necessary.

‘As the authors suggest, the current trend towards diets with animal-derived foods being at least partially replaced by plant-based foods will further increase the risk of sub-optimal status of vitamin B12 and D (and other nutrients) in women of childbearing age. This needs to be considered when such dietary transition is contemplated.’

The findings have been published in PLOS Medicine.

The team was led by academics from the University of Southampton and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, the University of Auckland, National University of Singapore, and the Agency for Science, Research and Technology in Singapore.

Issued on: 05/12/2023 – 16:22

Machado pointed to the low turnout in the non-binding vote on Essequibo as a “huge defeat” for Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro. She added that holding the referendum was wrongheaded, stressing that the best way to win back the disputed region was through the International Court of Justice.

However, she expressed confidence that Caracas would not launch a military operation to retake Essequibo, despite the “desperation” of the Maduro regime.

On October 30, Venezuela’s Supreme Court suspended the outcome of the opposition primary vote, which Machado had won by a huge margin.

She that said her victory in that vote opened up a “huge opportunity” to defeat Maduro. While acknowledging that there would be many obstacles to “free and fair elections” in the 2024 presidential elections, she insisted she would “face Maduro and defeat him”. 

Machado stressed the need for pressure on the Maduro regime, both domestically and internationally, to ensure such an outcome. She argued that the regime has “no resources”, which is why it is so eager to negotiate, in particular with the US. “The [Maduro] regime is in its weakest position ever,” she declared.

She also denied ever calling for a foreign military intervention against Maduro, claiming she only advocated for a humanitarian intervention.

Despite her criticism of the Maduro regime, Machado said she was ready to sit down with the president and talk to him.

“That would be certainly be useful, even before the elections (…) I am certainly more than willing to do that.”

Aaron Rodgers has hinted the he could still return before the end of the season, as the quarterback claims the Jets (4-8) aren’t ‘mathematically out’ of the playoff race just yet, despite losing five games in a row. 

The 39-year-old, one-time Super Bowl champion, who aimed his comeback for Dec. 24 from a torn Achilles injury sustained in September, admitted to Pat McAfee that the Jets have gone through a ‘tough stretch’, but the run of games against the Texans (7-5), Commanders (4-9), Browns (7-5) and Patriots (2-10), will be ‘fascinating’. The Jets hold the longest postseason drought in U.S. sports history – 13 seasons.

‘It’ll be interesting to see how our guys respond because we’ve had adversity, we’ve seen how our guys deal with adversity,’ Rodgers added on ESPN. ‘Who’s going to finish the season as a professional? Who’s going to buy into this thing, and doing it together and putting good ball on tape and take pride in their performance?’

‘Because I’ve been on a couple of teams where down the stretch it’s been rough. My first year in the league we were 4-12 and my first year starting we lost five out of six down the stretch.’

Rodgers – a four-time NFL MVP, who’s played in the league for the last 19 seasons – then warned his teammates about the consequences of ending the season with an overall negative record, while also issuing a rallying to them.

Aaron Rodgers isn’t ruling out the Jets from making the playoffs despite the team’s 5-8 record

Rodgers previously said ‘anything is possible’ regarding his comeback as he eyes return soon

‘I believed after we were 5-5,’ said Rodgers. ‘So, I’ve seen what it looks like at times when things are going not great and it really reveals the character in those adverse moments. So it’ll be interesting to see how the guys stick together because there’ll be a lot of interesting decision moving forward.’ 

The Jets are not yet set on who’ll start at quarterback against the Texans (7-5). Trevor Siemian could get the nod on  Sunday, with a full week working with the starters. Or maybe Zach Wilson will be back from the bench. Probably not Tim Boyle, who has struggled in his two starts against the Falcons and Dolphins, and has since been cut.

‘I’m still not there yet,’ coach Robert Saleh said on Monday, when asked if he had decided on a starter. 

Rodgers said last week that ‘anything is possible’ when asked if he could potentially return this week or next.

‘Well, I’m going to piggyback on what he told you guys and that anything’s possible,’ Saleh said before chuckling. ‘But don’t hold your breath. How about that?’ 

In other words, no unprecedented quick return this week.

The Jets could turn to veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian for Sunday’s game vs. the Texans

The Jets have firmly denied that QB Zach Wilson doesn’t want to start for the team anymore

Wilson, who started nine games after Rodgers was hurt in the opener, is a possibility, especially given the struggles of Boyle and Siemian in New York’s 13-8 loss to Atlanta on Sunday.

The Athletic reported Wilson expressed reluctance about starting again this season, something Saleh wholeheartedly dismissed, as well as Rodgers on McAfee’s show on Tuesday.

‘Well, let’s be clear: If he was reluctant to play, guys, he wouldn’t be here,’ the coach said. ‘I actually coincidentally just got done speaking with him. He came in about a half-hour ago and we had a really good conversation.

‘The young man wants the ball. He wants to start. He believes he’s the best quarterback in the room and best quarterback for this team and the guy who gives us the best chance to win and I’ll tell you guys the same thing I told him: I appreciate it. I appreciate the fact that he wants to play. I’m just not there yet.’

The Jets’ most recent loss came on Sunday, Dec. 3, against the Atlanta Falcons in a 13-8 defeat

Saleh said the decision on who’ll start this week will include input from ‘everybody’ – presumably meaning general manager Joe Douglas, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and passing game coordinator Todd Downing, among others.

‘I want to make sure nobody is acting emotionally,’ Saleh said. ‘I want to make sure we’re making the right decision for this organization and team moving forward and making sure that the guy who’s best ready to play is on the football field.

‘We’re just trying to find a way to win a football game and whoever does that, I just want to make sure we cross our T’s, dot our I’s and make the best decision possible.’

The Jets have scored fewer than two touchdowns on offense in eight straight games. They also have just two touchdowns total on offense in their past five games.

Their third down conversion efficiency (23.1 percent) and red zone conversion rate (27 percent) are still on track to be among the worst in recent NFL history.

As Israeli tanks rolled into southern Gaza on Sunday, the second stage of Israel’s ground offensive in the Palestinian enclave began, bringing with it a new set of challenges for Israel’s troops and what appears to be a new military strategy from Hamas.  

Post-ceasefire, the Islamist group and allied Palestinian militants look to have upgraded their weaponry and adapted their tactics “based on lessons learned during the past month of fighting in the Gaza Strip”, according to a report released on December 3 by the ISW. 

Upgraded weapons 

One of the most notable changes is Hamas’s increased use of explosively formed penetrators (EFP) – projectile explosives designed to penetrate armour, even when fired from great distances. The weapons, which were used just twice in October and November, have been deployed five times since December 1, according to the institute. 

Of the three types of EFP in use today, the most common “detonate and launch steel shrapnel in all directions, having a deadly impact typically within a 10-40 metre radius”, said Alexandre Vautravers, a security expert at the Global Studies Institute at the University of Geneva. 

Details in the ISW report do not specify the type of EFP being used by Hamas, but indicate they are more likely to be a second or third type commonly used as anti-tank ammunition. Both hold specially shaped projectiles that are capable of “piercing very thick armour or fortifications”, Vautravers said. 

Older weaponry is no match for Israel’s Trophy defence system developed in the late 2000s to “intercept projectiles before they hit the armoured vehicle”, said Omri Brinner, a specialist in Middle Eastern geopolitics with the International Team for the Study of Security (ITSS) Verona. He added, however, that such protection is “not installed on every tank model”.

But more modern EFP  – such as those Hamas is thought to have used – can be “projected at hypersonic speeds, making them capable of piercing armour without being intercepted by Trophy or similar systems”, said Vautravers. 

Questions remain over how Hamas gained access to such advanced weaponry tailored to penetrate Israeli systems. According to the Institute for the Study of War, the EFP that Hamas uses are made in the Gaza Strip. 

Along with anti-tank ammunition, the ISW report includes video footage released by Hamas on December 2 showing its fighters using one-way attack drones to target Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Strip. 

This marks another technical advance in the group’s military capability. “Hamas has been developing drones for decades and have already used them, but never effectively and mainly for training purposes,” said Veronika Poniscjakova, a specialist in military aspects of the Israel-Palestinian conflict at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. 

Going forward, Hamas could use a similar strategy to that which Israel has used with its air strikes in northern and southern Gaza, deploying kamikaze drones to strike Israeli forces “before direct confrontation”, said Poniscjakova. 

New tactics 

As well as improved weaponry, Hamas also looks to be enacting a new plan of action against Israel in southern Gaza. 

“Hamas and the other Palestinian militias have shifted from conducting a delaying operation to conducting a deliberate defence,” wrote the Institute for the Study of War. 

Operations in the north aimed to slow Israeli progress “to provide Hamas time to move its leaders and military materiel from the northern Gaza strip to the southern part of the strip”, it added.  

Now that the battleground has moved south, a “shift in tactics suggests that Hamas and Palestinian militias are preparing to become decisively committed to defending against the Israeli ground operation”.  

A more directly confrontational approach from Hamas may be born of necessity. If Hamas was able to shift its operations south as fighting raged in northern Gaza, now “there is no other place to escape to”, Poniscjakova said. 

Hamas may also be able to operate more boldly in the south than the north. Brinner says it is where the groups’ main ammunition and weapon depots are located, and there is also strong popular support for Hamas especially in Khan Younis, the hometown of the group’s two main leaders in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif. 

Read moreMohammed Deif, the elusive architect of Hamas’s attack on Israel

“In the northern Gaza Strip, we have seen Hamas operating more like a guerrilla force – avoiding the big battles, slipping away and then re-emerging to attack and slip away again,” said Ahron Bregman, specialist in security issues in the Middle East at Kings College London.

“But this tactic might change when the Israelis operate in the southern Gaza Strip. There’s strong Hamas support there, so they might resist more strongly.” This could mean a return to the group’s traditional organisational structure divided into “formations of battalions, brigades and so on”, Bregman said. 

“The Israelis are also less familiar with the southern Gaza Strip than with the north,” Bregman said, and they are increasingly under pressure from the international community to limit the soaring civilian death toll in Gaza.   

“The Israeli Defence Force, because it is more crowded in the south at the moment, could use less fire power lest it kills too many civilians,” Bergman added.  

Prolonging fighting 

It may be too early to say whether the incidents observed in the past few days are the beginning of a more advanced military strategy from Hamas. “There are indications of something happening, but we cannot say yet [whether] Hamas has more sophisticated tactics in general,” said Brenner.  

There is as yet little evidence to measure the success of recent kamikaze drone attacks launched by Hamas, according to Poniscjakova. 

But almost two months into the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, clashes look set to intensify. “The heavy fighting is ahead of us,” said Brinner. “The confrontations will be more intense and Israel’s advance more difficult.” 

Poniscjakova believes the greatest weapon at Hamas’s disposal is drawing out the fighting for as long as possible. “Time is Hamas’s best friend. The longer the war lasts, the more civilian casualties there will be, which works in Hamas’s favour because it degrades Israel’s image,” she said. 

The objective for the militant group is also markedly different from that of Israel. “Hamas doesn’t have to score big victories over the Israelis,” said Bregman. “All it has to do is to be able to stand on its [own two] feet when this war is over. A Hamas victory is to be able to say, ‘We are still here’.”  

This article was adapted from the original in French.