Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for an independent investigation into Britain’s role in the Israeli occupation's military operations in Gaza, emphasizing that the UK had played a significant part in the war. 

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, which he shared on social media, Corbyn insisted on the need for transparency regarding Britain’s involvement, drawing parallels to the UK’s actions during the Iraq War. 

He referenced the 2016 Chilcot Report, which revealed major failings in the British government’s decision to invade Iraq despite widespread public opposition. Corbyn warned that history is repeating itself, as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 61,000, with at least 110,000 people injured and vast destruction of residential areas.

He highlighted findings from the British Palestinian Committee, which outlined the extent of the UK’s support for the Israeli occupation, including arms sales, intelligence sharing, and the reported use of Royal Air Force bases in Cyprus. Corbyn also pointed to repeated but unanswered concerns over the sale of F-35 aircraft components to the Israeli regime and the lack of clarity on the UK government’s legal position on genocide.

Read the full letter here. pic.twitter.com/3Fvekwnxw6

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) March 4, 2025

Stressing that accountability and transparency are fundamental to democracy, Corbyn vowed to pursue all possible avenues to establish a full public inquiry. He argued that such an investigation should scrutinize the decisions made by the government since October 2023, their legal implications, and the consequences that followed.

Corbyn further asserted that many believe the government’s actions may have implicated officials in severe violations of international law. He warned that these allegations would not disappear without a thorough and legally empowered inquiry to uncover the truth.

Violation of international law

More than 600 lawyers, academics, retired senior judges, including three former Supreme Court Justices one of whom is the court’s former President Lady Hale, former court of appeal judges, and more than 60 KCs warned that the UK government is violating international law by perpetually arming "Israel" in April 2024

The signatories, in a 17-page legal opinion letter sent to the Prime Minister on the evening of April 3, labeled the current situation in Gaza as "catastrophic", emphasizing that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that there is a "plausible risk of genocide" committed by the Israeli occupation against Gaza, which makes the UK legally obliged to take steps to prevent it, The Guardian said. 

"While we welcome the increasingly robust calls by your government for a cessation of fighting and the unobstructed entry to Gaza of humanitarian assistance, simultaneously to continue (to take two striking examples) the sale of weapons and weapons systems to Israel and to maintain threats of suspending UK aid to UNRWA falls significantly short of your government’s obligations under international law," the letter said.

The letter further urged the government to take steps toward a permanent ceasefire and to implement sanctions “upon individuals and entities who have made statements inciting genocide against Palestinians,” adding that funding UNRWA again is essential for "effective entry and distribution of the means of existence to Palestinians in Gaza, and by extension the prevention of genocide."

As for sending weapons to "Israel", the letter said, "The ICJ’s conclusion that there exists a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza has placed your government on notice that weapons might be used in its commission and that the suspension of their provision is thus a ‘means likely to deter’ and/or ‘a measure to prevent’ genocide."