UK to conduct surveillance flights over Gaza: Defence ministry

London, The Gulf Observer: The UK’s military will conduct surveillance flights over Gaza to help locate hostages held by Palestinian resistance group Hamas since its October 7 attack on Israel, Britain’s defence ministry confirmed.

Hamas fighters seized around 240 Israelis and foreign hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Around 110 have since been freed, mainly during a recent week-long prisoner swap and temporary truce deal.

Israel’s military said on Friday it had resumed fighting in the besieged Palestinian territory. The resumption of combat has frustrated hopes for the swift release of the more than 130 hostages the Israeli army has said are still being held in Gaza.

The UK has said at least 12 British nationals were killed in the October 7 attacks in which Israeli officials say about 1,200 people died and that a further five are still missing.

But it has not confirmed how many are being held by Hamas.

Israel responded to the October 7 attack by vowing to eliminate the Palestinian resistance group and its subsequent relentless air and ground campaign has killed more than 15,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas governmental authorities who run Gaza.

London did not reveal when its military surveillance flights over the territory would start but stressed they would be unarmed and focused only on hostage recovery efforts.