‘A cover-up’: UK media has refused to challenge RAF Akrotiri’s involvement in Israel’s genocide, says new report

A new joint report from Declassified UK and the National has accused the British mainstream media of a ‘cover-up‘. It says establishment outlets have refused to challenge RAF Akrotiri’s involvement in the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza. This is despite almost 600 UK spy flights having flown over the occupied Palestinian territory since October 2023, and this being “a story of clear public interest” as critics fear British complicity in Israeli war crimes.

On a visit to RAF Akrotiri last year, genocide–denying prime minister Keir Starmer said “we can’t necessarily tell the world what you’re doing here”. Supposed media professionals in the mainstream media apparently took that as an order. And accordingly, they have avoided questioning what the activities of a base the British Palestinian Committee (BPC) has called “a foundational asset for genocide”.

Minutes of the latest D-Notice Committee (which can "ask" news outlets not to run a story) refer to discussion about "other UK operations & deployed force elements". Would be interesting to know whether the spy flights have been discussed but then no journalist wants to tell us pic.twitter.com/1pcCuZahtA

— Des Freedman (@lazebnic) July 7, 2025

Underplaying the UK’s contribution to genocide via RAF Akrotiri

The Declassified/National report says:

Of the 1,359 pieces in UK-based media between 2/12/23 and 24/6/25 referencing “Akrotiri”, none in the mainstream media have focused specifically on the spy flights.

“Britain’s obedient defence correspondents”, it insists, “have no appetite to challenge” the government’s claim that flights simply focus on finding Israeli hostages in Gaza. Nor do they have the professional integrity to:

raise the slightest concern about the legal or ethical implications of providing intelligence support to Israel in the middle of a genocide.

It adds that most mainstream stories relate to other uses of RAF Akrotiri.

Analysis has shown the BBC consistently engaging in pro-Israel propaganda. Indeed, its own staff have just accused the outlet of “performing PR for the Israeli government and military”. But its refusal to question RAF Akrotiri’s role in Israel’s genocide, or provide other essential context, isn’t just about the apartheid state. It’s about the broadcaster fulfilling its role as a mouthpiece for the British state. That’s why, on Akrotiri in particular:

It has utterly failed to follow up the story.

As BBC news content director Richard Burgess ominously told Declassified:

I don’t think we should overplay the UK’s contribution to what’s happening in Israel.

The Guardian isn’t much better, either. And you’d expect no less considering the key role it played in the 2015-2019 media smear campaign that severely undermined criticism of Israeli crimes in mainstream politics. “In hard news”, the Declassified/National report notes, “the Guardian has barely acknowledged the existence of the flights” from RAF Akrotiri.

Britain's national media are doing a wonderful job covering up the extent of British support for Israel during a genocide. It's their most impressive performance since destroying the prospects of a decent government under Jeremy Corbyn in 2015-19. https://t.co/PNb6q6X1Pr

— Mark Curtis (@markcurtis30) July 7, 2025

Other than one mention from the i paper, the rest of Britain’s mainstream media has faithfully maintained radio silence in order to avoid attracting too much attention to what journalist Matt Kennard has called Britain’s ‘direct participation’ in Israel’s genocide.

RAF Akrotiri is a unique colonial relic on Cyprus. The occupied Cypriot territory is part of the “largest Royal Air Force base outside the United Kingdom”. As Declassified UK has reported, covert US flights have been leaving from the base throughout Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Dozens of British warplanes, meanwhile, have flown to both Israel and Lebanon. British spy flights and intelligence officers on the ground have also been passing information to Israel.

Establishment journalists ‘abdicating their professional responsibility’

Prof Des Freedman, a media reform campaigner and author of the Declassified/National report, said:

the mainstream media’s continuing silence on RAF spy flights over Gaza is a flagrant abdication of their stated responsibility to ask tough questions of military planners.

Far from doing this, he stressed:

Leading news organisations are amplifying MoD [Ministry of Defence] talking points and Foreign Office priorities but then remaining quiet and toeing the line when it comes to identifying potential military support for Israel’s genocide.

And he added that:

mainstream media – through their silence and meekness – are allowing the government to get away with murder in Gaza.