Jeremy Corbyn demands 'Chilcot' style inquiry into UK complicity in Israel's war on Gaza
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to establish an independent "Chilcot-style" enquiry into the UK's involvement in Israel's war on Gaza.
In a letter to the prime minister, Corbyn - who sits in parliament as an independent MP - argued that Britain has "played a highly influential role in Israel's military operations".
"Many people believe that the government has taken decisions that have implicated officials in the gravest breaches of international law," he wrote, pointing to Britain's sale of weapons and supply of intelligence to Israel.
He recalled the Chilcot inquiry into the invasion of Iraq, which found Tony Blair government's decision was based on "flawed intelligence and assessments".
Corbyn urged a similar inquiry into Britain's complicity with Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed at least 61,000 people.
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"We have repeatedly asked for the truth regarding the role of British military bases," Corbyn wrote. "And we have repeatedly requested the publication of legal advice behind the Government's (currently unknown) definition of genocide.
"Our requests have been met with evasion, obstruction and silence."
'Complicity'
A government spokesperson told Sky News: "Our priority since day one has been a sustainable ceasefire, and a lasting peace that will ensure the long-term peace and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.
"We must build confidence on all sides that helps sustain the ceasefire and move it from phase one through to phase three, and into a lasting peace and an end to the suffering on all sides."
This comes after former Foreign Office official Mark Smith said last month that he witnessed "conduct that I believe crossed the threshold into complicity with war crimes" among officials.
"Officials are bullied into silence," he reported. "Processes are manipulated to produce politically convenient outcomes. Whistleblowers are stonewalled, isolated and ignored."
In his letter, Corbyn referred to a January report from the British Palestinian Committee which detailed the procurement of weapons from the Israeli military industry and the use of British military bases.
The Royal Air Force base Akrotiri on the island of Cyprus is used by the UK, US and Germany to supply Israel with “weapons, personnel, and intelligence”.
The report argues that the UK "is not simply failing in its third-party responsibilities to uphold international law, but is actively complicit in genocidal acts perpetrated against the Palestinian people".
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