Corbyn demands Chilcot-style inquiry into UK's role in Gaza

Former UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to launch an independent inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Israel’s war on Gaza, drawing comparisons to the Chilcot Inquiry into the UK’s role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

In a letter to Starmer, the former Labour leader emphasised Britain’s “highly influential role” in the war due to arms sales to Israel, intelligence-sharing, and the use of British military bases in Cyprus.

“For months, our concerns have been met with silence or, at best, obfuscation. That is not good enough,” Corbyn told the New Arab, stressing that MPs have a duty to hold the government accountable.

“The public deserves to know the full scale of this government’s complicity in one of the worst crimes against humanity in a generation. That is why I am calling for an independent inquiry with the legal power to establish the truth.”

Corbyn also raised concerns over the UK’s continued export of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel and called for greater transparency regarding the role of British military bases, as well as the government’s stance on defining genocide.

Drawing a historical parallel with the Chilcot Inquiry, Corbyn warned:

History is repeating itself. Many people 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.”

The Chilcot Inquiry, published in 2016 after years of delays and government resistance, criticised then-Prime Minister Tony Blair for bypassing his cabinet and privately assuring US President George W. Bush of Britain’s commitment to the invasion of Iraq.

A longtime advocate for Palestinian rights, Corbyn has been a prominent figure at pro-Palestine rallies throughout the war and has consistently spoken out against UK policies that support Israel. Alongside four other pro-Palestine MPs, he co-founded the Independent Alliance, pushing for a complete arms embargo on Israel, an end to illegal Israeli settlements and immediate recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Since October 2023, scrutiny over Britain’s military support for Israel has intensified. Last year, the government suspended 30 out of its 350 arms export licenses to Israel due to a “clear risk” that the equipment could be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law, a move many critics argue is insufficient given the scale of the war.

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