UK lawyers accuse several Britons who fought for Israeli army in Gaza of war crimes

The 240-page report, compiled by Michael Mansfield and other lawyers in The Hague, was submitted on Monday on behalf of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and the British-based Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) – which are representing Palestinians in Gaza and the United Kingdom.

They are accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, including extermination, displacement, and murder.

“I could not bear what I saw: dead bodies scattered next to each other,” a witness whose relatives were killed in an Israeli attack said in testimony collected by PCHR.

The report, which has not been published, is calling for an urgent investigation into allegations that include the targeted killing of civilians and aid workers, according to several media outlets.

It reportedly provides detailed, fully researched, and solid evidence of their involvement in these grave crimes, and specifically identified 10 people who have not been publicly named, some of whom hold Israeli citizenship.

The report accuses suspects of “coordinated attacks on protected sites, including historic monuments and religious sites, and forced transfer and displacement of civilians”.

Sean Summerfield, a lawyer who helped compile the dossier, said that the research was based on open-source evidence and witness testimony, which together, presented a “compelling” case.

“We are standing at the brink of the collapse of the rule of order because certain states have taken it upon themselves … to act with impunity,” Mansfield told reporters outside the police building.

Speaking to the United States news site Zeteo, Mansfield noted allegations also include “mass killing, mass destruction, and mass displacement”.

The UK has a responsibility under international law to investigate and prosecute those who have committed international crimes.

When asked whether the British government should ban British nationals from serving in the Israeli military, Mansfield added: “It would be possible for the government to indicate, as they have on other occasions, that it would be unlawful to join an army that in its view is conducting an unlawful war.”

Mansfield further spoke on the lack of governmental action, stating that many nations across the world are “not doing anything” and are instead supporting Israel’s government.

“I think it’s another reason why the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and the Public Interest Centre have decided to, as it were, prompt the government … into action,” Mansfield continued

Since Israel renewed its assault on Gaza on March 18, ending a short-lived ceasefire with Hamas, it has pushed to seize territory by force and so far killed more than 1,300 people, according to the enclave’s Ministry of Health.

More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023, most of them women and children.