UK pro-Palestine group shuts down Israel-owned arms factory

Pro-Palestine activist group Palestine Action "shut down" one of the top global manufacturers of military drones on Tuesday in protest at Israel's war on Gaza.

Eight activists blockaded all three access points into the Instro Precision weapons factory in Discovery Park Kent, owned by Elbit Systems, the Israeli arms manufacturer.

Founded in 2020, Palestine Action believes in using direct action tactics to shut down and disrupt multinational arms dealers, mainly targeting UK-based companies accused of providing arms to Israel.

Its primary campaign is #ShutElbitDown, which has been conducting weekly protests blockading arms suppliers nationwide.

The campaign had allegedly forced its subsidiary factory in Manchester to shut down, while Elbit claimed it was part of a company restructuring.

Elbit Systems’ biggest customer is the Israeli Ministry of Defence and provides up to 85 percent of the land-based equipment used by the Israeli military and almost 85 percent of its drones.

It manufactures most of its equipment in Israel, the US, Europe, and Brazil.

The Israeli military has so far killed over 32,000 Palestine civilians and injuring over 74,000 in its bombardment on Gaza.

BREAKING: Palestine Action blockade all access points into the Elbit-owned Instro Precision factory in Kent.

By putting their bodies in the way, eight actionists SHUT DOWN the Israeli weapons maker.

Join them at Instro, Discovery Park, Kent, CT13 9FL! pic.twitter.com/KROobjo1lS

— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) March 26, 2024

Bezhalel Machlis, Elbit’s CEO said the company had "ramped up production" to support the Israeli military during the war on Gaza, which used its services "extensively".

According to Palestine Action, Elbit regularly exports weapons to Israel under the categories ML5s (Weapons Sights) and ML11s (Electronic Equipment).

The company’s Hermes 450 and 900 drones are considered cornerstones of Israel’s military operations, and it manufactures ammunition and surveillance technology, including its separation wall.

Its 450 drone wrongfully identified a group of young boys playing on a beach in Gaza as "Hamas militants" and another drone fired two missiles killing them in 2014.

The New Arab has approached Instro Precision for comment.