British MP Announces ‘Independent Gaza Tribunal’ to Investigate UK Involvement in Israel’s Genocide
British MP Jeremy Corbyn has unveiled an independent “Gaza tribunal” to investigate the UK’s involvement in Israeli genocide in Gaza, according to Arab News.
The Independent MP, who was the former Labour Party leader, has been criticizing Israeli military operation in Gaza since October 2023.
Bill to Investigate British Complicity
On June 4, Corbyn introduced a bill into the UK House of Commons urging the government to establish an independent inquiry into UK’s complicity in Israeli war in Gaza, including the supply of weapons, surveillance aircraft and use of Royal Air Force bases.
However, the bill was rejected at its second reading earlier this month.
On Thursday, Corbyn announced that he would hold a Gaza tribunal in September as “the public deserves to know the full scale of their government’s complicity in genocide.”
Furthermore, he mentioned the UK’s ill-fated decision to join the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and said: “Just like Iraq, the government is doing everything it can to protect itself from scrutiny. Just like Iraq, it will not succeed in its attempts to suffocate the truth.”
He further assured that they will bring about justice for Palestinians.
UK Involvement in Genocide
Despite the fact that the British government suspended 30 arms export licenses to Israel due to Gaza War, Corbyn and pressure groups insisted that the UK is still supplying other weapons, such as parts for F-35 fighter jets.
Moreover, the Royal Air Force is also facing accusations of flying surveillance flights over Gaza and supplying Israel with intelligence.
Gaza Tribunal
The left-wing politician said the tribunal would hear from expert witnesses including Palestinians in Gaza, journalists, as well as health and aid workers who have already worked in Gaza.
Furthermore, the tribunal will call on legal experts and UN officials to provide evidence.
It will start by highlighting the scale of human suffering in Gaza, where more than 58,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.
Then, the tribunal will tackle Britain’s legal responsibilities under domestic and international law and investigate its role in the military campaign.
Mounting Pressure
The British government has been facing increasing pressure from MPs, including many from its own Labour Party, to take a decisive step against Israel.
Approximately 60 British Labour MPs have recently urged the UK government to immediately recognize the Palestinian state and halt what they labeled as “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza, according to The Guardian.
A group of centrist and left-wing MPs write a letter this week to the Foreign Secretary David Lammy asking him to act immediately to stop Israel’s reported plan to establish a so-called “humanitarian city” of tents in the ruins of Rafah, in southern Gaza.
Call for Recognizing Palestinian State
“By not recognizing [Palestine] as a state, we undermine our own policy of a two-state solution and set an expectation that the status quo can continue and see the effective erasure and annexation of Palestinian territory,” the letter said.
The MPs also described the plan as “ethnic cleansing” warning that such a move means the forcible transfer of civilians and the erasure of Palestinian presence as well.
“It is with great urgency and concern that we are writing to you regarding the Israeli Defense Minister’s announcement on Monday of his plans to forcibly transfer all Palestinian civilians in Gaza to a camp in the ruined city of Rafah without allowing them to leave,” the letter added.
Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 137,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
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