Trending 
Recently declassified files have exposed that Western intelligence agencies secretly provided key support to Israel’s Mossad in the 1970s, enabling the assassination of Palestinian activists across Europe. The revelations have sparked renewed concern over contemporary intelligence-sharing, with critics drawing parallels to Israel’s ongoing military bombardment in Gaza.
According to an investigation by The Guardian, a secret intelligence-sharing network known as “Kilowatt” was formed in 1971 and included agencies from at least 18 countries, including the UK, US, France, and West Germany. This covert alliance exchanged detailed intelligence on Palestinian individuals, such as their movements, safe houses, and vehicle details—information later used by Mossad for targeted assassinations in European cities like Paris, Rome, Athens, and Nicosia.
Historian Dr Aviva Guttmann, who discovered the documents in Swiss archives, said the intelligence provided through Kilowatt was “granular and critical” to Mossad’s operations. She noted that while early collaborators may not have known their information would lead to killings, they later continued cooperation fully aware of the consequences. “International relations of the secret state are completely off the radar of politicians, parliaments, or the public,” she warned.
One high-profile case highlighted in the documents is that of Wael Zwaiter, a Palestinian intellectual shot dead in Rome in 1972. Israel alleged he was linked to the Black September group, but the evidence was based on intelligence fed through the Kilowatt system—evidence which many human rights advocates have since challenged.
The covert nature of the operation ensured it was hidden from democratic scrutiny and public oversight. Experts believe that had the public known at the time, there would have been significant political backlash.
The revelations are fuelling current fears that Western intelligence agencies may still be secretly enabling Israeli military actions—this time in Gaza. Since October 2023, more than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the Israeli bombardment, which many international observers and legal experts describe as genocide.
The UK government has faced mounting questions over its role, particularly regarding over 500 Royal Air Force surveillance flights above Gaza whose objectives remain undisclosed. Critics argue these operations may be feeding real-time intelligence to Israeli forces and contributing to lethal operations, without parliamentary oversight.
Despite a genocide case brought against Israel by South Africa at the International Court of Justice, intelligence cooperation continues behind closed doors. As Dr. Guttmann noted, “Even today, there will be a lot of information being shared about which we know absolutely nothing.”
