UK refuses to say if IOF bombers using its Cyprus base
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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.
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Palestinians visit their destroyed homes after Israeli forces left Khan Younis on March 6, 2024 (AP)
After unnamed British insiders revealed that Israeli F-35s bombing Gaza had access to Britain's huge air base on adjacent Cyprus, the UK military refused to deny the trips, creating fresh allegations of war crimes.
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.
The British government has refused to reveal any information regarding whether its facilities in Cyprus are being used to support the bombardment of Gaza.
Kenny MacAskill, Alba MP for East Lothian, told Declassified earlier that their refusal was "perverse" and that the lack of information is "not only insulting to Cypriots and Cyprus but potentially endangers them.”
Read more: The US's secret military deployment on British Cyprus: Declassified UK
At the time, the MoD responded that it could not comment on information "relating to foreign nations’ military aircraft movements or operations.”
The Daily Express recently reported that senior UK sources revealed the IOF's F-35s still accessed the base, citing that the occupation was told not to do so until the war on Gaza was over.
The most lethal aircraft in the world
The IOF holds 50 F-35s, with another 25 planned and produced by Lockheed Martin and touted as the "most lethal" fighter aircraft in the world.
Britain is a shareholder in the F-35 production process, delivering more than 15% of the fighter planes and providing components and aftercare maintenance.
However, the Express stated that the IOF has been notified that "a facility to render technical assistance" at Akrotiri would be withdrawn and a “long-standing arrangement” that has both IOF helicopters conducting helicopter drills and exercises with the RAF will also be terminated.
The UK is an active perpetrator of the war on Gaza, with its complicity taking numerous forms. The IOF in November confirmed that the jets were being used to bomb Gaza and UK ministers have yet to suspend or stop arms to the occupation.
According to Declassified UK, nine Israeli military aircraft landed in and took off from the UK since October 7, as confirmed by the UK government. While the Ministry of Defense (MoD) refused to provide the number initially, Declassified independently revealed that six Israeli-operated planes landed in the UK since.
Pressured by the revelation, the MoD admitted there were nine flights, answering a parliamentary question from MacAskill. The MoD refused to give details about the flights.
Defense Minister James Heappey instead said, “It is standard practice for the Ministry of Defence to routinely authorize requests for limited numbers of allies and partners to overfly the UK and use UK air bases.”
Declassified recently showed that the RAF has conducted over 30 military transport flights from RAF Akrotiri to "Tel Aviv" since the bombardment of Gaza started. However, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, a spokesperson for the Cypriot administration, told the Cyprus Mail that he had received no information regarding the planes.
In January over 300 peace demonstrators protested outside the Akrotiri military station in Cyprus, accusing it of fueling regional wars on Gaza and Yemen.
