London police refuse to investigate British nationals accused of war crimes in Gaza
Submitted by
MEE staff
on
Sat, 05/02/2026 - 11:15
Rights groups condemn decision on UK citizens fighting for Israel in Gaza
Israeli soldiers seen in Gaza in a picture taken during a media tour organised by the Israeli army on 3 October 2025 (Jack Guez/AFP)
Off
London's Metropolitan Police will not investigate 10 British nationals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity while fighting with the Israeli military in Gaza.
The decision comes after the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and the Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) filed a 240-page dossier to the Met's War Crimes Team in April last year.
The PILC said the report detailed the alleged involvement of the 10 British nationals, including dual citizens, in the “targeted killings of civilians and aid workers, indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, attacks on hospitals and protected sites, and the forced transfer and displacement of civilians”.
The referral was accompanied by a letter of support signed by over 70 legal and human rights experts, urging the War Crimes Team to investigate all complaints regarding involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity.
But on 27 April, the police said in a decision letter that it would not progress the matter, citing no realistic prospect of conviction and that an effective investigation could not be conducted.
This is despite the Met accepting that international bodies consider that Israel’s actions in Gaza “could amount to war crimes” and initially indicating that at least four of the individuals mentioned in the referral were of "particular interest”.
PILC and PCHR expressed “disappointment” with the decision, maintaining that the dossier contained “credible material warranting a full investigation”, and that the move “risks creating an accountability gap for alleged international crime committed by British nationals or residents overseas”.
New report lays out full extent of UK-Israel military partnership in Gaza
Read More »
Paul Heron, a solicitor at PILC, said the groups “reject” the Met's conclusions, insisting that its refusal to investigate was premature and that the “wrong legal test” had been applied.
“This was not a charging decision for prosecutors at the end of an investigation; it was a decision about whether serious allegations of core international crimes should be investigated at all.”
Heron added that the police’s approach “sets the hurdle very high for any investigation”.
“The very purpose of an investigation is to obtain and test evidence - including evidence not available to victims, lawyers or civil society organisations.”
He added that the groups are “considering next steps very carefully and are likely to bring proceedings against the Metropolitan Police”.
International humanitarian law cell closed
The Met’s decision comes after The Guardian reported last month the closure of a foreign office unit tracking potential breaches of international law by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon due to funding cuts.
According to the report, the head of the War Crimes Team had emphasised to the British Foreign Office the importance of the unit’s work in helping the Met consider war crimes allegations.
Freedom of Information disclosures published by Declassified UK last month revealed that over 2,000 British citizens served in the Israeli military during its genocide in Gaza.
Meanwhile, it emerged on Friday that the Met is reviewing a potential ban on upcoming pro-Palestine marches, following the stabbing of two Jewish men, aged 34 and 76, in Golders Green, a neighbourhood of northwest London with a large Jewish population.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday that some pro-Palestine marches could be banned and that the phrase "globalise the intifada" should be completely "off limits". On Friday, he branded the chant an example of "extreme racism", calling for those who use it to be prosecuted.
British soldiers trained in Israel during Gaza genocide
Read More »
There have been no recorded incidents in the UK of an antisemitic attack involving the phrase "globalise the intifada". However, in December, the Metropolitan and Greater Manchester police forces announced they would arrest people for chanting the phrase or holding placards displaying it.
At least 72,000 Palestinians, including around 20,000 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since it launched its onslaught in October 2023.
In April 2024, a series of Israeli drone strikes targeting a World Central Kitchen vehicle in Gaza City killed seven aid workers, including three former members of Britain's armed forces.
The family of James Kirby, one of the British aid workers killed in the attack, demanded a “proper, independent inquiry” into his death.
Two years on, the family said they have received "limited" communication from the UK government and are "unsure whether a full and formal investigation is underway".
Middle East Eye reported at the time that arms experts and campaigners suggested that the Elbit Hermes 450 drone deployed in the attack was powered by a British-made engine.
In November last year, the UK government confirmed that British soldiers trained in Israel during its genocide in Gaza, marking the first official admission of UK military presence in Israeli military academies since October 2023.
Royal Air Force planes are known to have been conducting surveillance flights over Gaza since the start of the war, despite accusations of war crimes against Israel.
Israel's genocide in Gaza
News
Post Date Override
0
Update Date
Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19
Update Date Override
0