UK hires US firm for Gaza surveillance flights amid Israeli genocide
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The UK's step has sparked legal and political backlash in Westminster.
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Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations stand in the northern Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Friday, August 8, 2025 (AP)
The British government has contracted a US defense firm to conduct surveillance flights over Gaza on behalf of the Israeli occupation, The Times has reported.
According to the report, the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) is paying Straight Flight Nevada Commercial Leasing LLC, a subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corporation, to operate the missions due to a shortage of Royal Air Force (RAF) Shadow R1 surveillance aircraft. RAF planes normally based at Akrotiri in Cyprus have either been redeployed or are undergoing maintenance, prompting the lease of US-operated aircraft.
The flights, which the MoD has refused to confirm, citing their “sensitive” nature, are reportedly aimed at gathering intelligence to locate captives held by Hamas. However, two sources confirmed the arrangement to The Times. One senior British military figure told the paper, “Instead of sending a message to Israel that we aren’t going to do surveillance for you, we are happy to hire an American company and pay for it.”
Britain has conducted near-daily surveillance flights over Gaza since December 2023, initially using RAF Shadows before switching to Sierra Nevada’s aircraft in late July. Flight tracker data revealed one US-operated plane circling over Khan Younis on 28 July after a “schoolboy error” left its transponder on, exposing its presence in Gaza’s airspace rather than nearby areas.
Major political backlash
The arrangement has sparked political backlash. Jeremy Corbyn, co-leader of a new left-wing party, called the ongoing cooperation “utterly indefensible” while “a genocide is livestreamed around the world.” Liberal Democrat defense spokesperson Helen Maguire urged the government to guarantee that UK-collected intelligence cannot be used by the Israeli occupation in its Gaza campaign.
Former Defense Secretary Grant Shapps first announced the surveillance missions in December 2023. Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, accusations of genocide and breaches of international humanitarian law have intensified. Labour MP Kim Johnson said it was “deeply concerning that surveillance flights over Gaza continue relentlessly, even as serious questions remain about their purpose and oversight.”
Military and legal experts have warned that if intelligence with “military utility” is shared with the Israeli occupation, the UK could be deemed a party to the genocide, a designation carrying significant legal and political consequences.
RAF continues surveillance for 'Israel'
The British military is still conducting surveillance flights over Gaza, The Times reported on August 6, citing government sources, with the alleged aim of assisting "Israel" in locating captives, even as Palestinian civilians face severe shortages of food and mass killings.
British surveillance aircraft, including undisclosed RAF planes, along with other UK military assets in the region, are collecting intelligence that is being shared with the Israeli military to provide real-time updates.
