UK air force base breached by pro-Palestine activists, 2 aircraft damaged

A pro-Palestine group claimed on Friday that activists broke into Britain’s largest Royal Air Force (RAF) base and damaged two military aircraft.

Palestine Action said the activists entered RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire to protest the UK’s support for Israel amid ongoing attacks in Gaza. The group posted on X that the activists had “broken into RAF Brize Norton” and damaged two aircraft.

The group accused the base of being a key hub for military operations, stating that flights depart daily to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, where British planes gather intelligence, refuel fighter jets, and transport weapons used in Gaza.

A video shared by the group shows a protester spraying red paint on a military aircraft’s engine.

Palestine Action is known for previous protests against UK arms factories supplying Israel, with increased activity since Israeli attacks on Gaza began in October 2023.

The UK Ministry of Defence condemned the “vandalism of Royal Air Force assets” and said it is working closely with police to investigate.

Since October 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in over 55,700 Palestinian deaths, many of them women and children.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice concerning its actions in the Gaza Strip.