The UK military has used US contractors to conduct spy flights over Gaza for Israel due to a shortage of British aircraft, AFP reports citing The Times.

The UK government acknowledged this year that it conducts such flights over the conflict-battered Palestinian territory but insisted they were “solely in support of hostage rescue”.

The spy flights appear increasingly at odds with the UK government’s growing public frustration with Israel over the invasion of Gaza, and increasing international demands for a ceasefire.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) had been using its Shadow R1 reconnaissance aircraft to film over Gaza, aiding the search for the hostages, but turned to a US firm after the planes were reassigned or needed maintenance, according to The Times.

The Nevada-based company being used is a subsidiary of Sierra Nevada Corporation, one of the world’s largest military contractors, the newspaper said.

It is likely to be seen as further evidence that Britain’s military has been pared back too drastically over recent decades, primarily due to budget pressures.

The flight path of a US-operated sortie last month over the largely destroyed Palestinian city of Khan Younis became public following what The Times called a “schoolboy” error.

It said the plane’s transponder had not been fully turned off, which meant it could be identified on flight-tracking websites and platforms as flying over southern Gaza.

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