UK police looking into foreign fighters’ war crimes with Israeli forces in Gaza

The UK’s Metropolitan Police Force are looking into reports of British citizens taking part in Israeli war crimes in Gaza while considering what action to take, amid growing condemnation of foreign fighters within the Israel Defence Forces returning to their home countries.

A 240-page report was submitted to the Metropolitan Police War Crimes Team on behalf of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and the Public Interest Law Centre last week. It accused 10 Britons of involvement in the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians and coordinated attacks on civilian or medical sites while serving in Israel’s military in the ongoing offensive in Gaza.

The alleged war crimes were reportedly committed between October 2023 and May 2024. They include “indiscriminate attacks” on civilian areas and hospitals, as well as the “targeted killing” of civilians and aid workers. According to the report, some of those Britons served as officers in the Israeli military and some were Israel-UK dual nationals.

The case against the foreign fighters — whose identities have been concealed — has been the subject of growing calls for the British authorities and police to investigate UK nationals who are said to be implicated in such war crimes and crimes against humanity.

According to BBC News, a Counter Terrorism Policing spokesperson said that the report “will now be assessed by specialist officers to determine whether any UK-based investigation may be required.” Currently, though, “There is no UK-based investigation into any matters relating to this particular conflict.”

READ: Foreigners fighting for Israel in Gaza are war criminals and mercenaries. Period