# Israeli Air Force planes at RAF Brize Norton: what we know

> The government admitted nine Israeli Air Force visits to Brize Norton in February 2024. Records show at least nine more between September 2024 and June 2025.

- URL: https://www.brizenortonfiles.com/articles/israeli-air-force-planes-brize-norton
- Published: 2026-11-08
- Author: Investigations Desk, The Brize Norton Files
- Topics: UK–Israel military links

## Key points

- The government admitted in February 2024 that nine Israeli Air Force planes had landed in and taken off from British territory since 7 October 2023.
- At least nine more IAF planes landed at Brize Norton between September 2024 and June 2025, including Re'em refuelling aircraft.
- The last recorded visit, on 9 June 2025, came eleven days before the protest at the base.
- The MoD will neither confirm nor deny foreign military aircraft movements and has refused to give the total number of IAF planes since February 2024.

On 25 December 2023, an Israeli Air Force (IAF) plane flew from Nevatim air base in Israel to Brize Norton, then on to a US air base, according to Declassified UK. It was one of nine IAF planes the government admitted had landed in or taken off from British territory since 7 October 2023.

IAF planes landed at RAF Brize Norton repeatedly during the war in Gaza. At least nine more landed there between September 2024 and June 2025, according to Declassified UK, and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has refused to give a total for the period since February 2024.

## How many Israeli Air Force planes landed at Brize Norton?

The government's admission came in a parliamentary answer of 6 February 2024. The table lists the main dates in the public record.

| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct 2023 | Start of the period covered by the February 2024 admission | UK Parliament |
| 25 Dec 2023 | IAF plane flies from Nevatim to Brize Norton, then on to a US air base | Declassified UK |
| 6 Feb 2024 | Government admits nine IAF planes landed in and took off from British territory since 7 October 2023 | UK Parliament |
| Sep 2024 – 9 Jun 2025 | At least nine more IAF planes land at Brize Norton, including Re'em refuelling aircraft | Declassified UK; Drop Site News |
| 9 Jun 2025 | Last recorded visit, plane on the ground for over 13 hours | Drop Site News |
| 20 Jun 2025 | Protest at RAF Brize Norton | Associated Press via Boston Globe |

## Which planes were refuelling aircraft, and what was the June 2025 visit?

Among the later visits were "Re'em" Boeing 707s, which the IAF uses for air-to-air refuelling. Drop Site News reported that one Re'em was tracked over north Gaza four days after a visit to Brize Norton, and that another flew near Gaza at least three times.

The last visit, on 9 June 2025, was eleven days before the protest at the base. The plane was on the ground for over 13 hours (Drop Site News).

According to Drop Site News, some of these planes went on to refuel Israeli fighter jets bombing Gaza. That is one outlet's reporting, and the government has not confirmed it.

## Why does the MoD not confirm the visits?

The MoD says it will "neither confirm, deny, nor comment on any foreign nations' military aircraft movement". It has refused to give the total number of IAF planes that have passed through Britain since February 2024 (Declassified UK).

## How could the visits be verified?

The MoD normally charges foreign government aircraft landing, parking and handling fees at its airfields, including Brize Norton, unless a reciprocal arrangement exists (Hansard, 1998). Fee records for the IAF visits should therefore exist. The sources reviewed do not say whether any fees were charged or waived for these visits.

## What does this mean for the wider case?

The Israeli refuelling planes at Brize Norton were Boeing 707s. A Voyager is a converted Airbus A330, so they are different aircraft. The question of whether Voyagers refuelled Israeli jets is separate, and is examined in [the explainer on probe and boom refuelling](https://www.brizenortonfiles.com/articles/could-raf-voyagers-refuel-israeli-jets).

The visits are one of several links between the base and Israel's campaign, alongside the [Voyager flights to Akrotiri](https://www.brizenortonfiles.com/articles/brize-norton-akrotiri-gaza-chain-of-support) and the [RAF surveillance flights over Gaza](https://www.brizenortonfiles.com/articles/raf-shadow-r1-surveillance-flights-gaza). The site's position is that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, a conclusion Amnesty International reached on 5 December 2024.

## Questions and answers

**How many Israeli Air Force planes landed at RAF Brize Norton?**

Nine, according to the government's February 2024 admission. Declassified UK has since reported at least nine more landings at Brize Norton, between September 2024 and June 2025.

**Did Israeli refuelling planes land at Brize Norton?**

Drop Site News reported that among the later visits were Re'em Boeing 707s, which the IAF uses for air-to-air refuelling. The Ministry of Defence will not comment on foreign military aircraft, so the government has not confirmed the visits' purpose.

## Sources

1. [Israel: Air Force, written question 12729](https://www.parallelparliament.co.uk/question/12729/israel-air-force) — UK Parliament, 2024-02-06
2. [Israeli military flights landing in Britain since October 2023](https://www.declassifieduk.org/?p=54655) — Declassified UK
3. [Why have Israeli military aircraft been landing at a UK air base?](https://www.declassifieduk.org/why-have-israeli-military-aircraft-been-landing-at-a-uk-air-base/) — Declassified UK, 2025-02-19
4. [Israeli Air Force aircraft landing at RAF Brize Norton under Labour](https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/revealed-uk-labour-israeli-military-planes-land-gaza) — Drop Site News
5. [RAF Brize Norton written answer (foreign aircraft fees)](https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written_answers/1998/nov/19/raf-brize-norton) — UK Parliament (Hansard), 1998-11-19