UK has sent 74 war planes from Cyprus to Lebanon since March
MATT KENNARD | Number of RAF aircraft landed in Beirut by Britain, a key backer of the Israeli military, has surged in recent months amid threats of a new offensive, but their purpose remains unclear.
● Ministry of Defence refuses to divulge number of flights but Declassified constructs timeline
● Most RAF flights are Voyager aircraft which can carry nearly 300 soldiers
● Declassified understands flights are “primarily facilitating senior military engagement”
● Hezbollah has warned Cypriot government not to aid Israel
Britain has sent over 80 military transport planes to Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, since the bombing of Gaza began, Declassified can reveal. All the flights have gone from RAF Akrotiri, Britain’s sprawling air base on Cyprus which has long been a staging post for bombing missions in the Middle East. It sits 150 miles, or 45 minutes flight time, from Beirut. ■ There has been a steady stream of flights since the Israeli assault on Gaza began in October, but the number rose dramatically in April with 25 flights going from Akrotiri to Beirut. May saw the same number of flights, with another 14 so far this month. ■ The spike in flights – now totalling 84 since October – comes amid soaring tensions between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.