UK 'currently' training Israel soldiers on UK soil, Labour admit
The news came in response to a written question at Westminster, put in by Labour MP for York Central Rachael Maskell.
Maskell asked 'when the last time was that a member of the Israel Defense Forces was trained by the UK armed forces'.
In a response published on Wednesday, Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard admitted that the UK was 'currently' training IDF soldiers in the UK.
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Pollard said: 'As part of routine defence engagement with Israel, the UK is currently training a limited number of Israel Defense Forces personnel on UK-based training courses.'
The news comes despite the Labour Government sanctioning two Israeli ministers – Itamar Ben-Gvir, the security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister.
The UK Government has also continued to send military equipment to Israel, and has declined to block exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets despite evidence that they have been used in Gaza.
Further, the UK has continued sending spy plane flights over Gaza in missions they say are run to provide Israel with information that could help to recover hostages held by Hamas.
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Maskell also brought up the flights with the UK Government. She asked: 'When the last time was that his Department provided the (a) Israeli government and (b) Israel Defense Forces with surveillance data of Gaza from Royal Air Force planes.'
Pollard in his response referred only to previous answers in which he said: 'The UK controls what information is passed to Israeli authorities.
'Surveillance information of Gaza is passed to the relevant Israeli authorities only where it relates to hostage rescue and where we are satisfied that it will be used in accordance with international humanitarian law.
'I am unable to comment further on detailed intelligence matters.'
Israel is credibly accused of committing genocide in Palestine with its now 19-month assault on Gaza.
On Thursday, the Gaza Health Ministry said the number of Palestinians killed by Israel had passed 55,000.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is wanted for arrest for alleged war crimes (Image: PA) The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but has said that women and children make up more than half the dead.
The ministry says 55,104 people have been killed since the start of the war and 127,394 wounded. Many more are believed to be buried under the rubble or in areas that are inaccessible to local medics.
Israeli forces have destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced about 90% of its population and in recent weeks have transformed more than half of the coastal territory into a military buffer zone that includes the now mostly uninhabited southern city of Rafah.
A two-and-a-half-month blockade imposed by Israel when it ended a ceasefire with Hamas raised fears of famine and was slightly eased in May.
The launch of a new Israeli and US-backed aid system has been marred by chaos and violence, and the UN says it has struggled to bring in food because of Israeli restrictions, a breakdown of law and order, and widespread looting.
Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid, but the UN and aid groups deny there is any systematic diversion of aid to militants.
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