The British government has ordered 100 spy flights over Gaza to aid Israeli intelligence under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration. Despite suspending arms exports to Israel last month, the spy flights have continued since December, with RAF flying 42 flights over Gaza in August. The flights, using the Shadow R1 aircraft, have raised concerns about British complicity in war crimes in Gaza.
The surveillance missions, operated by the No.14 Squadron, aim to support hostage rescue, with the UK providing intelligence to Israel that they cannot collect on their own. Questions have been raised about the UK’s role in providing intelligence to Israel for military targeting purposes. The MoD stated that they provide intelligence related to hostage rescue only.
The UK’s surveillance flights have potentially gathered up to 500 hours of footage of Gaza, but it remains unclear how the intelligence is used. The UK government has indicated its willingness to provide information to the International Criminal Court regarding investigations into war crimes. The spy flights reflect Britain’s involvement in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and their commitment to international obligations.