UK conducted 50 espionage missions over Gaza for 'Israel'
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An investigation shows that the UK military has flown 50 espionage operations over Gaza since the beginning of December to help "Israel."
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A picture taken from Rafah on January 6, 2024 shows smoke billowing over Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. (AFP)
According to Declassified UK, an investigation showed that the UK military has flown 50 espionage operations over Gaza since the beginning of December to help "Israel".
The information-collecting missions are carried out by Shadow R1 surveillance aircraft that take off from Britain's controversial Akrotiri air station in Cyprus.
Last Sunday, over 300 peace demonstrators protested outside the station, accusing it of fueling regional wars on Gaza and Yemen.
Demonstrators sought the dismantling of military outposts that have remained under British administration since the eastern Mediterranean island country gained independence in 1960.
Britain maintains two "Sovereign Base Areas" on Cyprus, Dhekelia in the east and Akrotiri in the west, which are enormous, highly covert military and intelligence complexes covering 3% of the island's geographical area and historically used for UK bombing missions in the Middle East and its complicity in the war on Gaza.
The report details that the UK government refused to provide information on the flights and what information it gathered for "Israel."
In early December, the UK's Defense Ministry announced it would start conducting surveillance flights over Gaza, occupied Palestine, and the Eastern Mediterranean, claiming that operations aim to locate sites of captives held by the Palestinian Resistance.
However, according to Declassified UK, the "extraordinary number of flights, and the fact that they started nearly two months after the hostages were taken, raises suspicions that the UK is not collecting intelligence solely for this purpose."
One week after October 7, the UK government announced that it had increased its military presence in the Middle East by deploying two Royal Navy ships, spy hardware, and an additional 1,000 personnel “to support Israel, reinforce regional stability and prevent escalation."
Charis Pashias, head of the Cyprus Peace Council, reported that civilians in Cyprus have seen increased "daily" flights from Akrotiri, emphasizing that the "illegal presence" of thousands of US troops in Akrotiri has also been magnified now.
According to the Campaign Against Arms Trade, "Israel" utilizes F-35 planes to attack Gaza, built collaboratively by the United States, the UK, and other partners. Other weapons employed in the densely populated strip include M270 rocket launchers and Paveway II guided missiles manufactured in the US and UK.
