Two Royal Air Force planes stationed at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire have been damaged in an overnight operation by Palestine Action, an activist group protesting what they claim is Britain’s complicity in war crimes in Gaza.
According to a statement by the group, two activists infiltrated the heavily secured military base on electric scooters and sprayed red paint into the turbine engines of two Airbus Voyager KC3 aircraft.
They reportedly used repurposed fire extinguishers to deliver the paint—intended to symbolise Palestinian blood—and crowbars to cause further damage to the aircraft bodies.
Palestine Action alleges the planes are part of a UK military supply chain that supports Israel’s operations in Gaza, claiming the Voyagers regularly fly to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, where they are used for “collecting intelligence, refuelling fighter jets, and transporting arms used in genocide.”
“Britain isn’t just complicit,” the group stated. “It’s an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East.”
The UK Ministry of Defence has rejected these claims, stating the targeted Voyager aircraft are used primarily to support Operation Shader, the UK’s mission against Daesh in Iraq and Syria, not Israeli military operations. Defence sources told the UK Defence Journal that the group’s statements were “factually inaccurate.”
The activists said they managed to carry out the act undetected, raising concerns about security protocols at Britain’s largest military airbase. The Ministry of Defence has yet to comment on how the activists gained access.
This is not the first time Palestine Action has staged high-profile protests. In October 2023, the group targeted BBC headquarters in London with red paint, accusing the broadcaster of bias in its coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict. The group has also repeatedly campaigned against UK arms sales to Israel.
Figures released earlier this year show that UK arms exports to Israel surged from under £30,000 in early 2024 to £127.6 million in the final quarter, prompting renewed scrutiny from human rights organisations. Although the UK suspended some 30 export licences last year, hundreds remain active, fueling debate about Britain’s role in the ongoing Gaza crisis.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the Brize Norton breach. No arrests have been made as of Friday.
