Campaigners and Members of Parliament have strongly criticised the UK government for refusing to confirm whether Britain’s Cyprus airbase, RAF Akrotiri, is serving as a covert hub for supplying arms to Israel.
The allegations stem from a report by Declassified UK, which revealed that the airbase has facilitated over 30 military transport flights to Tel Aviv since the start of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the airbase has seen more than 40 US transport aircraft, 20 British transport aircraft, and seven transport helicopters flying in with cargo from US and NATO depots.
In response to a question from Alba MP Kenny MacAskill regarding the number of US Air Force flights to Israel from RAF Akrotiri, Defence Minister James Heappey stated, “The Ministry of Defence does not comment on information about allies’ operations.” A previous inquiry about the use of the base for sending US arms or military equipment to Israel was met with a similar refusal to comment.
Labour MP John McDonnell called on the government to “come clean” about the alleged activities at RAF Akrotiri. He highlighted the urgency of addressing the issue, particularly in light of civilian casualties in Gaza resulting from Israeli military actions.
Iain Overton, the executive director of Action on Armed Violence, highlighted a familiar pattern of the British government’s reluctance to disclose information. He noted ongoing legal challenges related to civilian harm in military operations and a judge-led independent inquiry into extrajudicial killing allegations against the UK’s Special Forces in Afghanistan.
Lindsey German, co-founder of Stop the War, criticised the Ministry of Defence’s refusal to answer questions, asserting that the Cyprus base is strategically positioned to intervene in the Middle East. She claimed that the East Mediterranean hosts US and UK naval vessels, with the UK sharing intelligence with Israel, emphasising concerns about government complicity in war crimes.
Emily Apple, media coordinator for Campaign Against Arms Trade, argued that the UK government is already complicit in war crimes through its support of the Israeli government and licensed arms sales. However, she stressed the importance of uncovering the full extent of this complicity for accountability.
Kate Hudson, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, accused the government of using “national security” as a pretext to justify silence, describing it as a coverup culture rather than a genuine safety concern.
(With information from the Morning Star)
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