The aircraft was above Baalbek when 18 people were killed there.
The UK flew a drone over Baalbek, Lebanon as Israel massacred 18 people and injured 28 others there on Wednesday, flight data shows.
The flight, first reported on by independent journalist Matt Kennard, left the RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus at 8:22am local time, just hours before Israel’s massive and intense bombardment of civilian areas across Lebanon, which killed at least 303 people, including many children.
The General Atomics Protector RG1 drone circled in the sky near Baalbek for hours, data from AirNav Radar shows. The model is equipped with missiles and bombs and can be used for “surveillance, search and rescue, and armed operations”, according to the RAF’s website.
Prime minister Keir Starmer has repeatedly, and falsely, claimed that the UK’s only involvement in the war in the Middle East since 28 February is defensive.
Wednesday’s drone flight appears to mirror a pattern first seen at the height of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, when Starmer’s government flew numerous surveillance flights over the enclave on behalf of the apartheid state.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Responding to the expansion of Israeli military ground operations in southern Lebanon, Human Rights Watch has warned that countries that continue to provide Israel with arms and military aid risk complicity in the Israeli government’s serious violations in Lebanon. [1]
Ellie Chowns, Green Party MP for North Herefordshire. CC image Wikipedia.
Reacting to the warnings of UK complicity in Israel’s violations in Lebanon, Dr Ellie Chowns MP said:
“Israel has continuously flouted international law with apparent impunity. That impunity must end. Throughout Israel’s genocide in Gaza and illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank, the UK Government has refused to pursue appropriate action against its government for breaching international law or to re-evaluate Israel’s status as an ally to Britain.
“This permissiveness has not tempered but emboldened the Israeli government. Following its strikes on Iran, Israel has expanded its ground campaign in Lebanon, displacing a million people throughout the country, killing over 1,000 people – including 118 children – destroying civilian infrastructure, and seemingly preparing for prolonged occupation of southern Lebanon.
“Israeli government and military officials have made repeated overt comparisons between its plans for Lebanon and its genocidal destruction of Gaza. Human Rights Watch has now warned that Israeli officials have signalled an intent to wantonly destroy homes in Lebanon’s border villages, forcibly displace and prevent the return of “hundreds of thousands of Shiite residents of southern Lebanon”, and conduct strikes in Beirut that could target civilians simply for being “near Hezbollah members, facilities, or means of combat.” All these actions would constitute war crimes.
“The Government must heed these serious warnings and act decisively to avoid the UK’s complicity in further crimes and to end the impunity which has enabled and emboldened Israel. The Green Party reiterates our calls for the UK to halt all arms sales to and military cooperation with the Israeli Government, to drive independent investigations into war crimes committed and support justice mechanisms for victims, and to impose sanctions on government officials responsible for breaches of international law.”
Human Rights Watch highlight recent statements from Israeli officials that signal “an intent to forcibly displace residents, destroy civilian homes and conduct strikes that could target civilians. Forcible displacement, wanton destruction and attacks deliberately targeting civilians are war crimes.”
Since the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2, Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,029 people in Lebanon, including 118 children and 40 medical workers, as of March 22 according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, and over one million people have been displaced following a series of displacement orders by the Israeli military.
Human Rights Watch recommends that “Israel’s key allies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, should suspend military assistance and arms sales to Israel and impose targeted sanctions on officials credibly responsible for ongoing serious abuses. They should levy further pressure on Israel to ensure that displaced residents can return to their homes once hostilities end or once the reasons for their displacement cease to exist.”
Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch, Ramzi Kaiss, said, “Atrocities flourish when there is impunity, and other countries should no longer stand by as they continue.”
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won.Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.
When Rotting Brain comes for you, you’re inconsistent not as a strategy but because your brain has rotted away. You can’t remember what you had for lunch. You’re vulnerable to manipulation of course and I would be concerned about such manipulation being illegal, unlawful. Even done by relatives, such manipulation can’t be legal can it?
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Starmer said it here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
And then there’s Starmer. By supporting Trump, isn’t he also supporting Trump’s Fascism at home and abroad? Covering-up – participation and complicity really – Fascist murders in the States, human rights abuses, mass-murders on the sea, amassing wealth in secret, hidden, obscure accounts, Fascist genocide for Israel – there’s no doubt that Starmer fully supports that at least. Ed: plutocracy, the filthy rich … Starmer is supporting it all.
Later Ed: Climate? While we need action urgently Trump, Farage and other right-wing denialists are doing the opposite. By supporting Trump, isn’t Starmer also supporting climate crime? In many ways, it’s the ultimate genocide through destroying the climate, the planet, everything.
Starmer, Mahmood and the UK Labour Party are doing their own version of neo-Fascism of course relentlessly prosecuting protesters and the latest one arresting someone for being polite while Iranian.
An Iranian man has been arrested with a woman after trying to enter the Faslane naval base, home to the UK’s nuclear-armed submarines.
Police Scotland said a 34-year-old man and 31-year-old woman were arrested at HM Naval Base Clyde at about 17:00 on Thursday.
The woman’s nationality is unknown, but it is understood she is not Iranian.
The Royal Navy said the suspects “unsuccessfully attempted” to enter the base, near Helensburgh in Argyll and Bute.
A spokesperson added: “As the matter is subject to an ongoing investigation, we will not comment further.”
It is understood that the pair did not try to force their way into the base.
They asked if they could enter but were refused permission and were arrested shortly afterwards. Police Scotland said its inquiries were ongoing.
…
The woman is reported to be Romanian in later news reports. So there you are, an Iranian man asks to enter the base, was refused and they were arrested. Iranian man arrested for being polite. Such nonsense. I wonder if it happened at all or is just total war BS like what comes out of Trump, Netanyahu and Starmer’s holes.
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Pro-Palestinian activists climbed Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate and unfurled a massive banner on Thursday in a striking protest against Germany’s backing of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
Pro-Palestinian activists climbed Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate and unfurled a massive banner on Thursday in a striking protest against Germany’s backing of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, Anadolu reports.
The activists used a lift truck to reach the top of the historic landmark at Pariser Platz. They displayed the banner reading: “Genocide: Never Again — Freedom for Palestine,” and remained on the structure for some time, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans.
Berlin police said six activists were arrested at the scene for illegally accessing the historic monument using a lift truck.
The demonstration reflects growing public opposition to the German government’s policy on Gaza. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a strong supporter of Israel, has repeatedly emphasized Germany’s historical responsibility for Israel’s security stemming from the Nazi era and the Holocaust.
The conservative leader has resisted opposition lawmakers’ calls for an arms embargo on Israel amid its brutal military campaign in Gaza, rejected proposals to suspend the EU-Israel trade agreement, and opposed recognizing a Palestinian state.
Recent polls indicate a widening gap between the government’s position and German public opinion on the Middle East conflict. An ARD survey found that 63% of Germans oppose Israel’s offensive in Gaza, while 55% want the Merz government to support EU sanctions on Israel. A separate YouGov poll showed 62% of Germans describe Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.
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Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
David Lammy met Benjamin Netanyahu in July 2024 soon after Labour won power. (Photo: Ben Dance / FCDO)
Book review: Peter Oborne spares neither Labour nor the Conservatives in his searing history of Gaza’s destruction.
As British people have turned against Israel’s destruction of Gaza, leading figures in its present and former governing parties still deny that Israel has committed even war crimes, let alone genocide.
Some of these denialists are hardened Zionists, others are opportunists, but the bottom line is summed up in the one-word title of Peter Oborne’s timely book. They have made themselves “complicit” (at the very least) in Israel’s monstrous crimes.
Oborne traces British complicity through Rishi Sunak’s unconditional backing for Israel after 7 October 2023, and Keir Starmer’s outrageous statement that Israel had the right to cut off power and water, to their joint opposition to a ceasefire.
Through a “cross-party cartel”, they “established the political foundation that would make Britain complicit” in massacres, indiscriminate bombing, torture and displacement.
This led to specific contributions to Israel’s genocide. Britain sold parts for the F-35 fighter jets that it used to kill civilians, and withdrew funding for UNRWA, the agency that provided Gaza’s humanitarian lifeline.
The RAF flew hundreds of reconnaissance flights, as Declassified exposed. The pretext of helping to find Israel’s hostages was quickly undermined as it became clear that Netanyahu was sacrificing them in his pursuit of endless destruction.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpAKeir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.