A complaint alleging war crimes against ten British individuals who served with the Israeli military during the Gaza conflict is set to be filed with the Metropolitan Police by a prominent human rights attorney in the UK.
Michael Mansfield KC, part of a coalition of lawyers, plans to present a comprehensive 240-page dossier to the war crimes unit at Scotland Yard on Monday. The report claims systematic targeting of civilians and aid workers, including incidents involving sniper fire and indiscriminate assaults on civilian establishments like hospitals.
Compiled by a team of UK lawyers and researchers based in The Hague, the document also makes accusations of coordinated attacks on protected sites, encompassing historical and religious landmarks, as well as the forced relocation and displacement of civilians.
For legal confidentiality, the identities of the suspects, which include individuals at the officer level, and the entire report will not be disclosed to the public.
Israel has consistently rejected allegations that its political or military leaders have engaged in war crimes amid its operations in Gaza, which have resulted in over 50,000 fatalities, predominantly among civilians. This military operation was instigated in retaliation for the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to over 1,200 deaths, many of whom were also civilians, alongside 250 individuals taken hostage.
Mansfield, recognized for his involvement in significant cases like the Grenfell Tower fire and the Stephen Lawrence case, asserted, “When one of our citizens engages in wrongdoing, action should be taken. While we may be unable to stop the misconduct of foreign governments, we can certainly prevent our nationals from acting wrongly.
“British citizens are legally obliged not to partake in crimes occurring in Palestine. No one is above the law.”
The report, submitted on behalf of two organizations—the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and the UK-based Public Interest Law Centre (PILC)—details alleged crimes committed from October 2023 to May 2024 and required six months for its assembly.
Each crime attributed to the ten suspects, some of whom hold dual nationality, qualifies as a war crime or crime against humanity, as outlined in the report.
One eyewitness at a medical facility recounted seeing bodies “scattered across the ground, especially in the courtyard, with numerous dead buried in a mass grave.” The witness described a bulldozer “driving over a corpse in a harrowing and distressing scene,” further noting that part of the hospital was demolished by machinery.
Sean Summerfield, a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers who assisted in creating the dossier, emphasized that it was constructed from publicly available evidence and witness accounts, which together form a “compelling” argument.
“I believe the public will be appalled to learn there is credible evidence of British involvement in these atrocities,” he remarked, adding that the team advocates for individuals to “stand trial at the Old Bailey for these crimes against humanity.”
The report states that under international agreements, Britain has a duty to investigate and prosecute those responsible for “core international crimes.”
According to Section 51 of the International Criminal Court Act 2001, it is considered an offence under English and Welsh law for an individual to commit genocide, a crime against humanity, or a war crime, regardless of where it occurs.
Raji Sourani, director of the PCHR, declared, “This is unlawful and inhumane; enough is sufficient. The government cannot claim ignorance; we are providing all necessary evidence.”
Paul Heron, legal director of the PILC, remarked, “We are submitting this report to emphasize that these war crimes do not represent us.”
Numerous legal and human rights professionals have signed a letter endorsing the call for the war crimes unit to pursue these complaints.
