THE current Tory government is considerably more eager to provide Israel with military assistance than it was during Margaret Thatcher’s premiership, according to declassified documents.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak swiftly deployed Royal Navy vessels and surveillance planes to support Israel just days after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu launched an offensive on Gaza following attacks by Hamas. 

But formerly secret files seen by Declassified UK reveal that officials may have hesitated to take such a stance under Thatcher’s rule.