Addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the letter is signed by 37 lawmakers from a range of political backgrounds and argues that the UK’s involvement in the war, including arms sales.
Several British MPs and peers have backed a letter by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn calling for an independent inquiry into the UK government’s role in Israel’s ongoing genocidal assault on Gaza.
“Last month, I wrote to the Prime Minister calling for an independent inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Israel’s assault on Gaza. Today, more than 30 MPs have supported that call,” Corbyn said on X on Wednesday.
“This is not going away. We will campaign for as long as it takes to establish the truth,” he added.
Last month, I wrote to the Prime Minister calling for an independent inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Israel’s assault on Gaza.
Today, more than 30 MPs have supported that call.
This is not going away. We will campaign for as long as it takes to establish the truth. pic.twitter.com/JGBW40RPtu
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) April 9, 2025
Addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the letter is signed by 37 lawmakers from a range of political backgrounds and argues that the UK’s involvement in the war, including arms sales, intelligence sharing, and the use of Royal Air Force bases in the Greek Cypriot Administration, warrants a thorough investigation.
The letter references “several attempts” made to establish an inquiry surrounding the conduct of British military operations in “the aftermath of the Iraq War.”
“Published in 2016, the Chilcot inquiry found serious failings within the British government, which ignored the warnings of millions of ordinary people over its disastrous decision to go to war,” Corbyn wrote.
‘History Repeating Itself’
“History is repeating itself,” he continued. “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.”
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, the letter noted.
I welcome the government’s condemnation of Israel’s decision to refuse entry to two British MPs.
Will they end the sale of weapons being used to murder Palestinians? pic.twitter.com/Ruw8bS2K8w
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) April 7, 2025
“Transparency and accountability are cornerstones of democracy. Therefore, we are demanding an independent, public inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Israel’s military assault in Gaza,” it stated.
Corbyn wrote that the inquiry “should establish exactly what decisions have been taken, how these decisions have been made, and what consequences they have had.”
He added that, “Any meaningful inquiry would require the full co-operation from government ministers involved in decision-making processes since October 2023.”
‘Breaches of International Law’
Many people, the letter stressed, “believe that the government has taken decisions that have implicated officials in the gravest breaches of international law.”
“These charges will not go away until there is a comprehensive inquiry with the legal power to establish the truth,” it concluded.
Signatories to the letter, which include members from the Labour Party, Sinn Fein, the Greens, Scottish National Party, the Welsh Plaid Cymru, and several independents, urge serving and past ministers from both the former Conservative and current Labour governments to cooperate fully with the proposed investigation.
Ongoing Genocidal Assault
The renewed Israeli violence on March 18 has broken a ceasefire that began on January 19. The latest military actions have killed hundreds of Palestinians and injured many more, primarily civilians, including women and children.
While the violations have been condemned by numerous countries and human rights groups, the US has continued its support for Israel, asserting that the military campaign was carried out with prior knowledge and approval from Washington.
“He’s the only one I have” — heartbreaking words from the mother of Arkan Al-Najjar, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting displaced people’s tents in the Mowassi area of Khan Yunis. His grandmother was also injured while they were on their way to buy food.#Gaza… pic.twitter.com/tP4glhLUgk
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 9, 2025
Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left Gaza in ruins.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the besieged enclave.
(PC, Anadolu)
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