PALESTINIAN rights activists broke into an arms factory in Cheshire today in a bid to “knock out a link in the global drone supply chain.”

Members of Palestine Action occupied the roof of APPH in Runcorn, Cheshire, at around 4.30am, spraying the premises in red paint and “destroying” property. 

The activists claim that the factory is a “key supplier” of drone components to Elbit Systems — Israel’s largest private arms firm. 

Elbit manufactures drones used by the Israeli army in Gaza. The action comes a month after Israel began its latest bombardment of the besieged strip on May 10, killing more than 250 Palestinians including 66 children in just 11 days. 

The group said it wanted to target all firms that supplied and aided Elbit’s operations in Britain, where it has 10 sites including four arms factories.

“By shutting down a key supplier of Elbit’s drone technology, Palestine Action has broken another link in the global drone supply chain, halting the flow of combat drones to Israel where they would be used to repress, surveil and bombard Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the occupied territories,” the group said in a statement.  

“Today’s actions seek to ensure APPH is unable to continue its participation in the production of drones for Israel’s war crimes.”

Elbit’s factories have been targeted several times over the last couple of months, which has led to the disruption of Israeli arms production in Britain.

Palestine Action’s six-day occupation of the arms factory in Leicester last month during Israel’s bombardment of Gaza sparked huge protests outside the site, with locals attempting to resist the arrest of rooftop activists by blockading the gates.