LONDON: The UK military has used US contractors to conduct spy flights over Gaza for Israel due to a shortage of British aircraft, The Times reported on Thursday.
The UK government acknowledged this year that it conducts such flights over the war-ravaged Palestinian territory but insisted they were “solely in support of hostage rescue.”
The spy flights appear increasingly at odds with the UK government’s growing public frustration with Israel over the war in Gaza, and increasing international demands for a ceasefire.
Last week, Britain announced it would formally recognise a Palestinian state if steps including a ceasefire were not taken by mid-September.
It has said the flights are part of its response to the Oct 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel that set off the war.
Out of 251 hostages captured during the attacks, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) had been using its Shadow R1 reconnaissance aircraft to film over Gaza aiding the search for the hostages, but turned to a US firm after the planes were reassigned or needed maintenance, according to The Times.
The Nevada-based company being used is a subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corporation, one of the world’s largest military contractors, the newspaper said.
It is likely to be seen as further evidence that Britain’s military has been pared back too drastically over recent decades, primarily due to budget pressures.
Relying on private sector contractors, which use an RAF base in Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean, can have pitfalls.
The flight path of a US-operated sortie last month over the largely destroyed Gazan city of Khan Yunis became public following what The Times called a “schoolboy” error.
It said the plane’s transponder had not been fully turned off, which meant it could be identified on flight-tracking websites and platforms as flying over southern Gaza.
The UK defence ministry declined to comment, citing the need to protect operational security around intelligence matters.
It reiterated Britain conducts surveillance flights over Gaza to help Israel locate hostages and only passes on intelligence related to that.
In March, armed forces secretary Luke Pollard told MPs “these flights are solely in support of hostage rescue.”
“We will pass information only if we are satisfied that it will be used in accordance with international humanitarian law.”–AFP
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