Hamas says UK intelligence supporting Israel in killing civilians in Gaza

Hamas on Monday accused the UK government of assisting Israel in its military operations in the Gaza Strip.

Sources from the Palestinian group told Al Jazeera Arabic that the UK government was conducting intelligence gathering for Israel as it continues its onslaught on Gaza.

The sources also claimed this cooperation was carried out jointly with the US, adding that the UK was directly responsible for "killing thousands of women and children" in Gaza.

The Palestinian group has called on the UK to immediately cease its military cooperation with Israel.

Al Jazeera Arabic noted that the UK-based publication Declassified UK had reported that both US and UK military flights had taken off from British military bases in Cyprus, conducting surveillance missions over Gaza.

Israeli intelligence officials speaking to The New York Times also reported of US and UK intelligence teams assisting Israel in intelligence gathering of Israeli hostages in Gaza through the war.

A spokesperson for the UK's Ministry of Defence (MOD) told The New Arab that "the Royal Air Force has been operating unarmed surveillance flights over Gaza solely for the purpose of helping to locate hostages".

The MOD added that the focus of the UK "remains on securing an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, a rapid increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, and compliance with international law." 

Soon after the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel, the UK's former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed that his country would support Israel in locating captives in Gaza.

Soon after, British media reported that the UK was aiding "international efforts" in finding the captives, with its spy agencies being "actively engaged" in sharing information that could "help located missing people" taken by Hamas fighters.

The UK government has also received criticism for refusing to halt arms exports to Israel, with a diplomat resigning from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office over the issue.

In his resignation email he said the UK government had no "justification for the UK's continued arms sales to Israel", in particular because of the "clear and unquestionable examples of war crimes and breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza" carried out by Israel.

Israel's war on Gaza has so far killed at least 40,173 people and wounded a further 92,857 others, causing a humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave and leaving much of the enclave in rubble. 

(Editors note: this article was updated on 21 August at 12:40 GMT to reflect the addition of comments by the Ministry of Defence)