The number of British armed forces deployed in the sovereign British bases in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean has surged by around 1,000 following the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, according to the UK’s Minister of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey.

Heappey made the statement on Tuesday in response to a parliamentary question posed by Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Defence John Healey.

“The purpose behind the bolstered presence of British troops in Cyprus is to support emergency plans and humanitarian efforts in the region,” Heappey explained.

He also added that the precise count of troops in the area remains under review.