UK minister grilled over RAF flights supporting Israel in Gaza in rare debate
Tuesday was a challenging day for the British government after Israel's morning assault on Gaza killed more than 400 Palestinians without warning, ending its ceasefire with Hamas.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer made headlines by publicly overruling his foreign secretary after David Lammy accused Israel of violating international law.
On Monday, Lammy had said that Israel had breached international law through the imposition of a full blockade, which has cut water and electricity to 2.3 million people in Gaza.
The UK's top diplomat then rowed back on his own comments, saying he "could have been clearer" and that it was a "matter for the court" to determine whether Israel had broken international law.
What didn't make headlines was the rare debate that evening on military cooperation with Israel in parliament's Westminster Hall.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
The event, in which detailed questions about military support for Israel and the Royal Air Force's surveillance flights over Gaza were put to the armed forces minister, forced the government in to another tough corner.
The debate was secured by the independent MP for Leicester South, Shockat Adam, who was elected last July on a pro-Palestine platform.
It was the latest indicator that the Independent Alliance, as the five pro-Gaza MPs (including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn) are known, is making its mark on parliament.
Forensic questions
Corbyn and Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain sat beside Adam as he directed a series of forensic questions to the minister. Significantly, Adam asked whether the UK had in fact violated the "spirit of the ceasefire".
"If hundreds of UK flights have taken place over Gaza, what have we witnessed?" he asked. "What crimes, if any, have we seen?
"In the light of what happened this morning, why has the RAF continued to deploy Shadow R1 surveillance flights towards Gaza, when a stipulation of the ceasefire explicitly forbids surveillance operations?
'If hundreds of UK flights have taken place over Gaza, what have we witnessed? What crimes, if any, have we seen?'
- Shockat Adam MP
"Is that not a violation of the spirit of the ceasefire agreement?"
Both the tone and substance of the debate were heavy. At one point, Hussain stood up to ask Adam whether he agreed that "allying with Israel while it carries out a genocide will bring about the end of the international world order as we know it".
Adam responded: "I completely concur with the honourable member’s timely intervention."
The Leicester South MP then laid into the government for its policies and statements over the past months.
"To the families of the children who were burned alive last night," Adam said in a discussion on Britain's refusal to apply sanctions on Israel, "I am sorry... the government says we can't afford to lose the money."
Conservative MP Mark Francois stood up at one point to defend Britain's military support for Israel, insisting that "the defence industry plays a vital role in ensuring the nation’s prosperity".
He told Adam he is "fortunate" to live in a parliamentary democracy:
"While I can understand the passion articulated by the honourable member for Leicester South in this debate, I say to him most respectfully that he is able to make those arguments in a democratic forum and publicly criticise the government of the day because he is fortunate to live in a parliamentary democracy.
"That is not something we can say of all the countries in the Middle East."
It is unclear why the issue of democracy in the Middle East was relevant to what Adam had said.
"In one year alone, from December 2023 to November 2024, the UK conducted 645 surveillance and recon missions, which amounts to almost two flights a day," Adam continued.
"We have been told that those flights were for surveillance and hostage rescue, but if that is the case, we must ask why we used RAF Atlas C1 aircraft, which are large enough to transport military vehicles and helicopters."
It wasn't just independent MPs criticising the government. Labour backbenchers known for breaking ranks with the leadership on Gaza also intervened.
Bradford East MP Imran Hussain said the UK "has obligations under international law and the UK government must meet those obligations by imposing immediate sanctions on Israel."
Liberal Democrat MP Helen Maguire said the UK should "halt arms exports to Israel, hold all parties accountable under international law, and champion a two-state solution".
Strategic partnership
Giving a different perspective, MP Jim Shannon of the Irish DUP stood up to declare that he was a "friend of Israel in word, wisdom and deed".
Luke Pollard, the minister for the armed forces, said: "The reported civilian casualties resulting from Israel’s actions are appalling."
But he went on to note that the UK "shares an important, long-standing and broad strategic partnership with the state of Israel", and praised the RAF's role in defending Israel against an Iranian missile and drone attack last April.
He insisted that surveillance flights over Gaza are "solely in support of hostage rescue" and that information is passed on "only if we are satisfied that it will be used in accordance with international humanitarian law".
Pollard added: "For operational security reasons, and as a matter of long-standing policy, the MOD does not confirm, deny or comment on any foreign national military aircraft movement or operation within UK airspace or on UK overseas bases."
While the debate did not yield much information from the government, it saw facts about Britain's ties with Israel which the government does not usually speak about aired publicly. And they were spoken about in detail and depth.
"Let me be completely clear," Adam said at the debate's end. "This debate is not an attack on our government, nor is it about politics. It is simply about truth.
"Only truth can serve justice, and only with justice can we bring about peace."
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
