The UK has announced that it will launch surveillance flights to find the hostages

The British Ministry of Defense announced on Monday (4) that it would carry out surveillance flights over Gaza in an attempt to find hostages taken by Hamas.

According to a government statement, the plane was unarmed and “responsible only for finding hostages” under the control of Palestinian militants after the October 7 surprise attack. The UK has not yet specified when the move will begin.

“In support of the ongoing hostage rescue operation, the UK Ministry of Defense will conduct surveillance flights in the Eastern Mediterranean, including airspace operations over Israel and Gaza. The surveillance aircraft will be unarmed, non-combatant and will have the exclusive mission of locating hostages,” the statement said.

The United Kingdom also emphasized that “only information relating to the rescue of hostages will be forwarded to the authorities responsible for the rescue of hostages.”

According to British minister Victoria Atkins, the planes used were “unarmed and unmanned drones”, she told the BBC broadcast this Sunday (3).

Data released by the United Kingdom indicates that at least 12 British citizens were killed in the October 7 attacks and five others are still missing. About 130 people are still believed to be hostages in Gaza, more than 100 of them Israeli men, civilians and soldiers.

In response to the British government’s announcement, Hamas this Sunday (3) appealed to the United Kingdom to “reconsider” its decision to send drones.

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