Pro-Palestinian activists damage planes at UK military base
Pro-Palestinian activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in central England, damaging and spraying red paint over two planes used for refuelling and transport.
Palestine Action said two members had entered the Brize Norton base in Oxfordshire on Friday, local time, putting paint into the engines of the Voyager aircraft and further damaging them with crowbars.
Aerial footage showed red paint marks on the aircraft and police officers nearby.
"Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets," the group said in a statement, posting a video of the incident on X.
Britain's Ministry of Defence confirmed the incident, and said it "strongly condemn this vandalism of Royal Air Force assets".
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the vandalism "disgraceful" in a post on X.
The government said two planes were being checked for damage, and that the vandalism had not stopped any planned aircraft movements or operations.
"A full security review is underway at Brize Norton," Mr Starmer's office said.
"We are reviewing security across the whole defence estate."
British defence minister John Healey ordered an investigation and a review of wider security at the country's military bases.
"The vandalism of RAF planes is totally unacceptable," Mr Healey said on X.
"I am really disturbed that this happened and have ordered an investigation and a review of wider security at our bases."
Palestine Action is among groups that have regularly targeted defence firms and other companies in Britain linked to Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza.
The group said it had also sprayed paint on the runway and left a Palestine flag there.
The Gaza war was triggered when Hamas-led Palestinian militants attacked Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli allies.
Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, displaced almost all of the territory's residents and caused a severe hunger crisis.
The assault has led to accusations of genocide and war crimes, which Israel denies.
Reuters
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