An official has called revelations that the UK and US have been monitoring Israel's drones and fighter jets the “worst leak in the history of Israeli intelligence”.

Material leaked by Edward Snowden appears to show spies hacking cameras and video feeds almost two decades.

Images obtained by The Intercept, German magazine Der Spiegel and Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth showed drones flying missions over Gaza and the West Bank, including some appearing to snow the aircraft armed with missiles.

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 $0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

In 2008, an internal US National Security Agency memo even disclosed that officers had tapped a video from the cockpit of an F-16 fighter jet, showing it tracking targets on the ground.

On that same day, 3 January, Israeli air strikes and shelling reportedly killed nine people in the Gaza Strip.

The photos and stills, marked “top secret” are of varying quality because of difficulty descrambling encrypted communications between the aircraft, satellite and controllers on the ground.

The operation, codenamed “Anarchist”, was allegedly run from 1998 onwards from locations including Troodos, a Royal Air Force installation on Cyprus, and secretive communications station RAF Menwith Hill, in Yorkshire.

Iranian, Syrian, Turkish, Egyptian and Lebanese drones were also monitored, the leaks showed, but Israel’s activities appeared to be the main focus.

Objectives included monitoring military operations in Gaza and watching for a potential strike against Iran, The Intercept reported.

Despite exporting its drone technology around the world the Israeli government has never confirmed reports of armed drones.

A senior Israeli intelligence source described the revelation as an “earthquake” to Yedioth Ahronoth, telling the newspaper: “It means that they have forcibly stripped us, and, no less important, that probably none of our encrypted systems are safe from them.

“This is the worst leak in the history of Israeli intelligence.”

Shape Created with Sketch. Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Show all 12 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict 1/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict The fire in my heart is beyond my ribs. You left me beloved - Soliman Shaheen, 15 2/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict Let me get enough of you, as I’m still hungry for your smile my son - Soliman Shaheen, 15 3/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict They besiege me in my homeland so I flew to heaven - Rodaina Al Agha, 16 4/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict And I am still facing the pain all by myself - Lama Shakshak, 15 5/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My brother, I watched you go while my heart was tearing - Helen Mo'amar, 16 6/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My new doll is lonely in the rubble - Ayah Sha'ath, 16 7/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict When a soul hugs another soul they never split, even in death - Ismail Matar, 16 8/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict Everyone is gone and I stayed alone to make the world witness the injustice done to me - Hamza Shaheen, 16 9/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict The hand that carries the arms carries roses too - Madeeha Al Majayda, 15 10/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My eyes tell you about a dream that overcame the fence - Soliman Shaheen, 15 11/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict A childhood caught in an unjust siege - Hadeel Quidh, 16 12/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict All the details are torn after you - Hamza Shaheen, 17 1/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict The fire in my heart is beyond my ribs. You left me beloved - Soliman Shaheen, 15 2/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict Let me get enough of you, as I’m still hungry for your smile my son - Soliman Shaheen, 15 3/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict They besiege me in my homeland so I flew to heaven - Rodaina Al Agha, 16 4/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict And I am still facing the pain all by myself - Lama Shakshak, 15 5/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My brother, I watched you go while my heart was tearing - Helen Mo'amar, 16 6/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My new doll is lonely in the rubble - Ayah Sha'ath, 16 7/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict When a soul hugs another soul they never split, even in death - Ismail Matar, 16 8/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict Everyone is gone and I stayed alone to make the world witness the injustice done to me - Hamza Shaheen, 16 9/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict The hand that carries the arms carries roses too - Madeeha Al Majayda, 15 10/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My eyes tell you about a dream that overcame the fence - Soliman Shaheen, 15 11/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict A childhood caught in an unjust siege - Hadeel Quidh, 16 12/12 Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict All the details are torn after you - Hamza Shaheen, 17

But Israeli energy minister Yuval Steinitz, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet, sought to play down its significance.

He told Israel's Army Radio: “I do not think that this is the deepest kingdom of secrets, but it is certainly something that should not happen, which is unpleasant. We will now have to look and consider changing the encryption, certainly.”

Mr Steinitz called the revelation that supposed allies of Israel had been spying on a friendly state “disappointing but not surprising”, claiming that Tel Aviv has not collected intelligence on the US for “decades”.

The Foreign Office said it would not comment on intelligence matters, while White House officials were quoted by Israeli media saying spying is only carried out for “specific, validated national security reasons”.



Additional reporting by PA

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.

At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.

Subscribe now