UK lawyers to file complaint against 10 citizens over Gaza duty: Report
LONDON
Ten British citizens who served in the Israel Defense Forces are facing allegations of war crimes in the Gaza Strip, according to a report by The Guardian on April 7.
A 240-page report detailing the alleged crimes will be handed over to the Metropolitan Police later the same day.
The dossier, prepared by the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights and the London-based Public Interest Law Centre, describes offenses reportedly committed between October 2023 and May 2024.
Under Section 51 of the International Criminal Court Act 2001, it is a criminal offense in England and Wales to commit genocide, crimes against humanity, or war crimes, even if these acts occur outside the country.
The report said that the 10 British nationals, some holding officer ranks in the IDF, are accused of indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, including hospitals, as well as mass displacement and coordinated assaults on protected sites.
The dossier also alleged that the accused deliberately targeted civilians and aid workers. Some of the actions listed are said to amount to crimes against humanity.
Each of the alleged actions by the suspects, some of whom hold dual nationality, is classified as either a war crime or crime against humanity.
"If one of our nationals is committing an offense, we should be doing something about it," said King's Counsel Michael Mansfield, stressing that British nationals have a legal duty not to participate in crimes committed in Palestine.
Attorney Sean Summerfield, one of the lawyers who helped compile the dossier, told The Guardian that the British public "will be shocked" by the "credible evidence" of British involvement in committing some of the alleged atrocities. He added that the legal team aims to see the accused appear in England's Central Criminal Court "to answer for their atrocity crimes."
In a similar vein, since forming last year, the Hind Rajab Foundation has made dozens of complaints in more than 10 countries to arrest both low-level and high-ranking Israeli soldiers. Its campaign has yet to yield any arrests. But it has led Israel to tighten restrictions on social media usage among military personnel.
