UK gov't imposes blackout on all information about Israeli military planes landing in Britain: Report

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The UK Ministry of Defence has refused to comment on Israeli military planes landing in Britain for "operational security reasons," although previously admitted that nine Israeli Air Force planes had visited the UK over the previous four months.

The British government imposes "blackout" on all information about the Israeli military planes landing in Britain, a move that "possibly aims to protect UK ministers from prosecution," according to Declassified UK news portal.

Last week, Kenny MacAskill, Alba MP for East Lothian, asked how many Israeli Air Force (IAF) planes had landed and taken off from Britain since Oct. 7 last year.

In response, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said: "For operational security reasons and as a matter of policy, the MoD does not offer comment or information relating to foreign nations’ military aircraft movements or operations."

Declassified UK reported on Tuesday that it is a new policy as the ministry in February replied the same question, saying nine IAF planes had visited the UK over the previous four months.

According to the report, this could aim to protect British ministers from possible prosecution for complicity in war crimes amid reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is set to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers.

Speaking to the news portal, MacAskill said the MoD had also now imposed a block on parliamentarians, even asking questions about Israeli military operations involving UK territory.

When he put down the question he asked in February again last week, it was rejected.

"Your question has been queried because it is subject to a block by Government," he was told when he put his question on the plane landing, meaning he could no longer ask about Israeli planes in the UK on military operations.

He added: "As the genocide in Gaza worsens, so does democratic scrutiny in the UK.

It was previously reported by the Declassified UK that Israeli aircraft had landed in Glasgow, Birmingham, as well as Royal Air Force bases in Suffolk and Oxfordshire since Oct. 7.

Israel has waged an unrelenting offensive on the Palestinian enclave since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 which killed some 1,200 people. More than 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and thousands of others injured amid mass destruction.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.​​​​​​​