LOC20:45
17:45 GMT
LONDON, Oct 16 (KUNA) -- The United Kingdom has halted reconnaissance flights over the occupied Palestinian territories and Gaza Strip, the UK Ministry of Defense declared on Thursday.
The ministry in a statement indicated that the overflights were carried out to try locate whereabouts of prisoners, including a number of Britons, held by the Hamas movement.
"The Ministry of Defence conducted surveillance flights over the Eastern Mediterranean, including operating in air space over Israel and Gaza from December 2023. The surveillance aircraft were always unarmed, did not have a combat role, and were tasked solely to locate hostages," its statement said
The UK government strictly controlled what information was passed on and "only information relating to hostage rescue was passed to the relevant Israeli authorities," the official statement explained
Following the agreement of the Gaza peace plan between Israel and Hamas, and the release of remaining prisoners, the Ministry of Defence has ceased surveillance flights over Gaza. The last fight took place on the October 10, 2025. (end)
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