MOD statement as RAF continues Gaza spy missions | World | News
RAF surveillance planes continue to help Israel search for hostages in Gaza, according to UK government sources. Undisclosed RAF aircraft and other British assets in the region are collecting intelligence and passing on the information to Israel‘s military (IDF).
The intelligence is allowing the IDF to update its information on the whereabouts of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the horrific raids on October 7, 2023. The UK’s Ministry of Defence refused to confirm which aircraft were involved in the hunt for the hostages. Flight tracking data showed Shadow R1s had flown hundreds of missions over Gaza, as recently as last month.
The specialist spy plane is equipped with high-definition technology sophisticated enough to examine convoys, streets, apartment blocks and to zoom in on movements.
The MoD told the Telegraph that British military surveillance flights were “still ongoing” over Gaza. However, it is not clear which aircraft are carrying out the spy missions, with the Shadow R1s reportedly having already returned to the UK.
In a statement, the MoD said: “Since early December 2023, the RAF has routinely conducted unarmed surveillance flights over Gaza for the sole purpose of locating hostages. The UK controls what information is passed to Israeli authorities and only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant authority.”
Hamas fighters seized 251 hostages on October 7, 2023, when they launched their horrific attacks on Israel. More than 49 are still being held captive in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be still alive – including an Israeli with a British mother.
The Hamas attack forced Israel into taking retaliatory military action against Hamas in Gaza, that has led to the deaths of 61,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Many Palestinians in Gaza face starvation, after Israel restricted food and humanitarian supplies from entering the area in March.
Between March and June, Israel allowed just 56,000 tonnes of food to enter the territory, according to Cogat – the Israeli agency that controls aid shipments to Gaza. A “worst-case scenario” famine is now unfolding in Gaza, UN-backed food security experts said.
Food deliveries are “at a scale far below what is needed”, amid “drastic restrictions on the entry of supplies”, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said in a report citing Israeli figures on aid.
