Palestinians walk in a war-devastated neighborhood in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, March 14, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
A cross-party group of British MPs has joined former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in demanding an independent, public investigation into Britain's support for Israel during its genocidal war on Gaza.
In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on March 4, Corbyn, now an independent MP, said that Britain has “played a highly influential role” in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Corbyn mentioned John Chilcot’s probe into Britain’s role in the invasion of Iraq along with the US in 2003 during Tony Blair’s administration.
The inquiry found that Blair’s government had based its decision on “flawed intelligence and assessments.”
Corbyn urged a similar inquiry into Britain's complicity with Israel in its devastating war on Gaza, which has killed more than 48,500 Palestinians so far.
Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer, independent MP Zarah Sultana, Labor MPs Diane Abbott, Richard Burgon, Brian Leishman, and the Scottish National Party’s Brendan O’Hara have joined Corbyn and called for an independent and public inquiry.
In a letter to The Guardian on Thursday, the group 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 bases in Cyprus.”
“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.”
The MPs demanded that the inquiry must have the full cooperation of ministers involved in decision-making processes since October 2023.
In addition to providing intelligence and allowing the use of British military bases and facilities, Britain has sold combat aircraft, missiles, tanks, technology, small arms, and ammunition to Israel.
Between October 2023 and May 2024, the British government approved over 100 new licenses allowing UK companies to sell arms to Israel.
On January 19, after 15 months of genocidal war in Gaza and failing to reach any of its objectives, including “eliminating Hamas,” the Israeli regime and Hamas reached a fragile ceasefire agreement.