In response to parliamentary questions, the UK government has outlined the nature of its intelligence-sharing with Israel concerning the ongoing hostage crisis in Gaza.
Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn raised two inquiries on 9th October 2024, seeking details on the extent and implications of the UK’s involvement through intelligence gathering, particularly from surveillance flights.
Corbyn’s first question addressed to the Ministry of Defence asked: “To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) intelligence the Government is sharing with Israel on the potential location of remaining UK national hostages in Gaza and (b) other intelligence the Government is sharing with Israel gathered from surveillance flights from RAF Akrotiri.”
This question aimed to clarify the UK’s role in providing information to assist Israeli operations, particularly regarding the safety of UK nationals.
In response, Luke Pollard, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, confirmed that the UK’s involvement focuses strictly on supporting hostage rescue operations. He stated, “The unarmed UK surveillance aircraft are employed solely to support hostage rescue. Only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant Israeli authorities responsible for hostage rescue.”
Pollard added that due to operational security, the government could not provide further details on the intelligence shared.
The second question from Corbyn addressed the potential implications of this intelligence-sharing on international law. He asked: “To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment the Government has made of the potential impact of Israel’s use of surveillance data provided by the UK on the UK’s role in ensuring adherence to international law.”
This inquiry touched on concerns regarding the broader consequences of sharing such sensitive information.
Pollard’s response mirrored the stance given in the first answer, making clear that the UK’s surveillance activities are strictly limited to supporting the rescue of hostages. He reiterated, “Only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant Israeli authorities responsible for hostage rescue,” and maintained that no further details could be shared due to the sensitive nature of the operations.
It’s a toxic issue unfortunately. Even if the U.K. does nothing people some people still have the opinion that the U.K. should do more to help either side, the U.K. is to blame for the mess in the region due to history etc etc.
I would have thought Israel has its own assets for listening in on Gaza. Perhaps these aircraft being added layer to the puzzle.
I had no idea that there were UK national hostages.
Why hasn’t this been made more transparent?
Is there some geopolitical sensitivity involved?
I think there is a duel/half nationality one. Heard it on the radio the other day. The mother, clearly English, was talking of her daughter.
ah that would make sense, thanks for the info DM
Super Jezza making sure the nasty UK doesn’t do any harm to poor little innocent Hamas
There are plenty of civilians in Gaza, and Israel doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to minimising collateral damage.
There were plenty of civilians at that festival and in the kibutz but Hamas and their cronies made no attempt whatsoever in minimising collateral.damage amongst civilians there.
Not advocating any civilian deaths BTW just providing balance.
Israel doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to minimising collateral damage. To see how manipulated by media as you are. why it did not occurred you to instead say this? Hamas do not have a good track record when it comes to minimising collateral damage of the population it claims defending In fact and censored by all western media news sausage factory, it was no news the leadership of Hamas telling to a Lebanese TV channel, – video is in Youtube – that women, children and elderly are necessary to die to stimulate the combatant spirit. It… Read more »
I never claimed that Hamas has a better track record, I simply said that there are many civilians and Israel is very trigger happy. At this point Israel are on the offensive so are more likely to cause civilian casualties, and for some reason I doubt Hamas are going to listen to our advice on how to keep hostages alive.
Hamas needs to be eliminated, but you can’t do that by simply flattening all of Gaza. History has shown that you can’t destroy a groups willingness to fight by mass bombardment, and civilian casualties only leads to stronger resistance.
Ordinary Gazan civilians are very useful for Hamas for shielding and propaganda.
Hamas strategy is to build their bases underneath civilian infrastructure for this very reason, if Israel attacks, Hamas can scream that Israel is acting immorally by ” targeting civilians”, every Gazan civilian death reported by the press is a propaganda victory for Hamas.
Nobody wants to see ordinary people suffering but I don’t know what else Israel could do, I don’t believe negotiating or yielding to Hamas demands would result in any long-term peace they are too extreme.
Hamas, Hezzbollah and Iran do nothing to avoid civilian deaths in their attacks, in fact unlike Israel they deliberately attack civilians because their cause is truly genocidal, for them the 2 state solution is not an option. I can’t believe people in the West are protest marching in support of that ideology.
We might only be doing this for intell on the hostages. What Israel might end up doing with that data is up to them. We have no say or right to interfere there. Corbyn would prefer the flights stopped so they don’t indirectly result in more deaths. That, to me, is the thrust of Corbyn’s question. He should also acknowledge that Hamas has no regard for safety of the Gaza population and knew full well that after what they did on 7th October the Israelis would come down on them like a ton of bricks. And that the Gaza population… Read more »
Well im sure Jeremy has a lot of free time these days to come up with questions, Seen as he rarely gets texts from his friends.