Israeli arms manufacturer closes UK facility targeted by Palestine Action group: Report
No staff present, aside from security guard stationed in vehicle parked outside premises, The Guardian reports
BRUSSELS
The Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems' facility in Bristol, UK, repeatedly targeted by the direct action group Palestine Action, has unexpectedly closed, according to The Guardian.
Elbit Systems' UK site in the Aztec West business park was the subject of many protests, including one on July 1, just days before the group was banned under the Terrorism Act, the daily reported on Saturday.
Elbit Systems UK, a subsidiary of Israel’s largest arms producer Elbit Systems, has leased the site since 2019, with the contract not due to expire until 2029. Protesters had previously blockaded the facility, occupied its roof, smashed windows, and covered it with red paint.
When The Guardian visited the site this week, the premises appeared deserted except for a security guard stationed outside. The company did not comment on the status of the facility, the report said.
Elbit Systems, which reported $6.8 billion in revenue last year, describes itself as the backbone of the Israeli military's drone fleet. Its UK operations reported an operating loss of £4.7 million (€6.3 million) last year, compared with a £3.8 million (€5.1 million) profit in 2023, according to company filings cited by the daily.
Andrew Feinstein, an expert on the global arms trade, told the daily that the closure was "extremely significant," describing Elbit as a central part of Israel's military-industrial complex.
The development comes as Palestine Action pursues a judicial review of the UK government's decision to proscribe the group.
The group was banned in July under the 2000 Terrorism Act after activists spray-painted planes at a Royal Air Force base.
The genocide in Gaza entered day 700 on Friday, with Israel having killed nearly 64,400 Palestinians. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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