Britain’s Royal Air Force to fly spy planes over Gaza looking for hostages

Britain’s Royal Air Force has said it will conduct unarmed surveillance flights over Gaza in a bid to help trace the remaining hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

It marks a step forward in UK-Israeli military cooperation and is believed to be the first time since the Suez War in 1956 that one has actively helped the other over what might be deemed “enemy territory” during armed combat.

The reconnaissance flights will include Shadow R1s, which are used by the RAF for intelligence gathering. Information will be shared with Israel’s military, whose ground forces are currently operating inside the Gaza Strip.

A week-long pause in the fighting, brokered by Qatar, allowed for the return of 110 hostages taken from southern Israel on 7 October, in exchange for aid supplies. Fighting has now resumed, with Israeli forces still looking for 137 hostages.

In a statement, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said: “The safety of British nationals is our utmost priority. In support of the ongoing hostage rescue activity, the UK will conduct surveillance flights over the eastern Mediterranean, including operating in air space over Israel and Gaza.

“Surveillance aircraft will be unarmed, do not have a combat role, and will be tasked solely to locate hostages. Only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant authorities responsible for hostage rescue.”

It is not the first instance of Britain offering Israel military support since it was attacked by Hamas terrorists on 7 October. In the days after the attack, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was sending a destroyer to the Mediterranean.

Then last week, Britain’s Royal Navy said it was sending another ship – HMS Diamond – to join HMS Lancaster and HMS Duncan on patrol in the region.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Recent events have proven how critical the Middle East remains to global security and stability.

“From joint efforts to deter escalation, following the onset of the renewed conflict in Israel and Gaza, to now the unlawful and brazen seizure of MV Galaxy Leader by the Houthis in the Red Sea, it is critical that the UK bolsters our presence in the region.”