The British government faces renewed scrutiny over the nature of its military cooperation with Israel after it emerged that it is spending taxpayers’ money to hire American contractors for surveillance flights over Gaza.

It was revealed last week that aircraft from the Royal Air Force (RAF) have conducted hundreds of surveillance flights over Gaza throughout Israel’s war on the besieged enclave.

Middle East Eye asked the Ministry of Defence (MoD) under the Freedom of Information Act whether it holds video footage taken by RAF planes of two Israeli attacks in Gaza on British citizens or volunteers working for British charities.

The MoD refused to disclose the information, citing national security and defence exemptions.

One of the Israeli strikes MEE asked about killed eight volunteers working for the UK charity Al-Khair Foundation in March as they were setting up tents for displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahia.

The MoD has previously confirmed it holds information gathered by spy planes on Israeli attacks, and has been widely criticised for not disclosing it.