The Metropolitan Police is currently deliberating on the appropriate course of action following the receipt of a report alleging that 10 British nationals committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during their time serving in Israel’s military in Gaza. According to a Counter Terrorism Policing spokesperson, the 240-page report will undergo assessment by specialized officers to determine if any investigation within the UK may be necessary. The summary within the dossier accuses the individuals of participating in the forced displacement of civilians and coordinated attacks on protected sites.
The Israel Defense Forces have been approached by BBC News for a response to the allegations made in the report. In a previous instance where Israel was accused of similar crimes, they vehemently denied the claims as being “completely false”. The latest dossier was presented to the Met’s War Crimes Team on behalf of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and the Public Interest Law Centre, detailing offenses that occurred between October 2023 and May 2024. The 10 British nationals implicated in the report have not been publicly identified but are accused of carrying out “indiscriminate attacks” on civilian areas, including hospitals, as well as engaging in the “targeted killing” of civilians and aid workers.
Among the accused individuals, some reportedly held officer positions in the Israeli military, while others were said to be Israeli dual nationals. Since the onset of the conflict, the Met has received approximately 180 referrals related to the war in Gaza. While the force clarified that there is currently no UK-based investigation regarding this specific conflict, human rights lawyer Michael Mansfield KC, involved in compiling the report, urged the Met to take the allegations seriously, conduct an investigation, and pursue legal action against the individuals if found guilty. The war in Gaza was instigated by Hamas launching an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in casualties and a significant number of people being held hostage. In retaliation, Israel’s offensive has led to a high number of Palestinian casualties according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry
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