LONDON: British police are investigating vandalism incidents after a pro-Palestinian group called “The List” claimed responsibility for attacks on properties linked to executives and employees of defence industry companies.
The group has claimed on its website to have carried out three incidents in recent weeks, including an attack on the home of an individual it described as a key engineer at defence contractor Leonardo.
A Leonardo spokesperson confirmed that an employee’s property had been targeted the previous weekend, adding that the company was assisting Counter Terrorism Police with their investigation.
Police Scotland said officers were called on October 11 following reports of vandalism involving a property and vehicles in Dunfermline, north of Edinburgh, where Leonardo operates a site.
A video published on the group’s website appeared to show a person spraying red paint on vehicles and the walls of a building.
According to The Sunday Times, the group also targeted locations in Hampshire, southern England, including the property of an executive at Ultra Intelligence & Communications. The report said the tyres of the executive’s car were slashed.
Hampshire police confirmed receiving a report of criminal damage in Fleet on October 10. Officers were told that red paint had been thrown across the front of a house and two car tyres had been damaged.
The group also claimed to have targeted the home of the director of technology manufacturing company Keysight.
In its online statement, The List said it had escalated actions against the home addresses of companies it accused of being complicit in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. It also alleged that companies working with Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit could be targeted.
The incidents come amid wider tensions surrounding pro-Palestinian activism in the United Kingdom. Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the British government last year following attacks targeting defence companies, including Elbit and Leonardo.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. Gaza’s health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority, has reported more than 74,000 deaths. The United Nations has considered the ministry’s casualty figures reliable, while Israel has repeatedly denied accusations of genocide.