Independent MP and ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will present a bill to Parliament calling for an inquiry into the UK’s role in Israeli military operations in Gaza, The National reported on May 21st.
Using a 10-minute-rule motion, Corbyn will introduce the Gaza (Independent Public Inquiry) Bill on June 4th. In the full text, the bill states it would “require the inquiry to consider any UK military, economic or political cooperation with Israel since October 2023, including the sale, supply or use of weapons, surveillance aircraft and Royal Air Force bases.”
It would also “provide the inquiry with the power to question Ministers and officials about decisions taken in relation to UK involvement.” The proposal follows a letter Corbyn sent to Prime Minister Keir Starmer last month, calling on Starmer to support the inquiry. In the letter, Corbyn referenced the findings of the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war and warned of parallels in the current conflict.
“History is repeating itself…Today, the death toll in Gaza has exceeded 61,000. Two Israeli officials are now wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity,” he wrote.
The bill has drawn cross-party support, with 40 MPs backing the move. Supporters include Scottish Nation Party (SNP) MPs Chris Law, Graham Leadbitter, Brendan O’Hara, as well as Scottish Labour’s Brian Leishman.
Corbyn said: “Britain has played a highly influential role in Israel’s military operations, including the sale of weapons, the supply of intelligence and the use of Royal Air Force (RAF) bases in Cyprus.”
Given this involvement, he argues an independent public inquiry is necessary to uphold “transparency and accountability”, which are “cornerstones of democracy”.
The call for an inquiry comes amid growing scrutiny of the UK’s arms exports. Last week, Foreign Secretary David Lammy dismissed reports that Labour authorised more arms sales to Israel in the final quarter of last year than the Conservative Tory government did over three years.
Meanwhile, rights groups opened a case at London’s High Court against the UK government, accusing them of violating international law, Middle East Eye reported.
Led by the Palestinian rights group Al-Haq, the case has been supported by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam, among other groups. The NGOs argue that continuing to supply fighter jet parts to Israel amid the continued Gaza conflict incriminates the UK.
According to Al-Monitor on May 13th, they seek to halt the export of UK-made components used in the US-manufactured Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets as they allege a “clear risk” that these weapons would used to carry out breaches of international law.
Corbyn’s letter concluded: “This inquiry should establish exactly what decisions have been taken, how these decisions have been made, and what consequences they have had. Any meaningful inquiry would require the full cooperation from government ministers involved in decision-making processes since October 2023.”
The National, Middle East Eye, Al-Monitor
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