The United Kingdom’s Labour Party’s former leader Jeremy Corbyn on Wednesday said that his country’s base in Akrotiri is being used as “a way station for the delivery of weapons to Israel”.

He made the remark during a “study day” hosted by Akel for European left-wing political parties and warned that as a result of the British bases’ alleged implication in the Middle East conflict, “Cyprus is becoming increasingly involved”.

“What we need is full support for the right of the Palestinian people to live freely, an end to the Israeli occupation, the condemnation of the genocide for what it really is, and practical solidarity with the people of Palestine,” he said.

On this front, he also offered robust criticism for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, saying that under her leadership, the European Union has made “huge spending on armaments” and overseen “a large increase in the share prices of arms industries due to ongoing wars”.

His statements on the matter come a month after Steve Masters, who served in the RAF as a technician for 19 years, demanded that the UK’s government “release the footage” of the flights launched from Akrotiri over Gaza, which were allegedly gathering intelligence which was shared with Israel.

“The continuing blockage of that footage to the public does nothing to quell the suspicion that we are materially aiding a genocide,” he said, adding that “there is a need for them to be held accountable, and if that means going to the Hague, so be it”.

Asked whether he believes intelligence from those flights may have been shared with Israel and used to target civilians, he said that “I don’t think that’s a stretch of anybody’s imagination.”

Corbyn, too, has made comments to the same effect in the past, having previously asked, “what is the purpose, the point of this base other than to support Israel in its illegal occupation of the West Bank and its continued … bombardment of Gaza?”

He said last year that he was “concerned” that the bases “are being used as an intermediary point in flights to Israel by British, and I suspect American planes as well, and are being used for surveillance under Gaza”.