Tell the ICC: Demand Surveillance Footage & Investigate British Intelligence Sharing with Israel!
The British military base, RAF Akrotiri, is a colonial relic on sovereign Cypriot territory, which has been used as a hub for U.S. and U.K. role in Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people. Britain has used this base to launch more than 450 surveillance flights over Gaza, which it has shared with Israel. The ICC must demand this footage from the UK to aid its case against Israel and to assess whether the intelligence has been used to aid Israel’s systematic targeting of infrastructure in Gaza.
In October 2024, the British Ministry of Defence said it would “consider any formal request from the International Criminal Court to provide information relating to investigations into war crimes”.
Sign the petition to the ICC to demand they request the surveillance footage and assess the UK’s role in intelligence sharing with Israel!
To the Offices of the International Criminal Court,
We, the undersigned, demand the International Criminal Court (ICC) formally request the U.K. government disclose all intelligence and surveillance footage of Gaza collected by the Royal Air Force (RAF). This evidence is critical to investigating Israel’s war crimes in Palestine, including the deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure, attacks on humanitarian workers, and systematic violations of international law.
Since December 2023, the RAF has conducted over 450 surveillance flights over Gaza, departing from the U.K.’s sovereign base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, and amassing approximately 2,700 hours of footage. While the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) claims these missions are solely for “hostage rescue,” evidence suggests the intelligence gathered may have been shared with Israeli occupation forces, potentially enabling the targeting of strikes such as:
- On 8 June 2024, when Israel committed a massacre of at least 300 Palestinians in Nuseirat refugee camp, a RAF surveillance flight was operating over Gaza.
- On 1 May 2024, a RAF surveillance flight operated over Gaza during Israel’s attack on a World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy, which killed seven aid workers. The flight, originating from Akrotiri, coincided with the strike, raising urgent questions about whether UK intelligence was used to facilitate this violation of international humanitarian law. Despite repeated parliamentary inquiries, the UK government has refused to clarify whether such data was shared with Israel.
Israel has killed at least 60,000 Palestinians, injured over 100,000 more people, and caused extreme destruction across Gaza. We call on the ICC to assess whether UK intelligence-sharing constitutes aiding and abetting war crimes under Article 25 of the Rome Statute. The UK government has suppressed parliamentary inquiries about Akrotiri’s activities, refusing to confirm whether surveillance data has been shared with Israel. This opacity violates the UK’s obligations under the Rome Statute, which mandates cooperation with international investigations.
Your office has investigated and taken steps against Israeli officials for violations of international law. The footage the UK has gathered would undoubtedly assist in this, and as a State Party, the UK is legally bound to assist the ICC in prosecuting war crimes. Withholding evidence undermines this commitment. The UK’s refusal to disclose this evidence perpetuates impunity for atrocities in Gaza. We stand with victims and survivors in demanding justice. By acting decisively, your institutions can uphold the principle that no state is above the law.
We urge you to request the surveillance footage Britain has collected over Gaza and assess whether this intelligence sharing constitutes aiding and abetting war crimes.