Jeremy Corbyn announces a UN special rapporteur will join a two-day tribunal examining Britain's role in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
According to The Guardian newspaper on Saturday, Corbyn stated that his Peace and Justice Project would host the hearings, which would include participation from Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The "Gaza tribunal" will take place in Westminster's Church House on September 4 and 5.
Corbyn said the project was meant to bridge the vacuum left by the government's decision to oppose his private member's bill, which called for an official investigation into the UK's role in the conflict. He made this statement while speaking at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on Saturday.
At its second reading in July, the bill was put on hold.
“We’ve invited people to make submissions — lawyers and others, and voices from Gaza and the West Bank, and other places — in order to put forward their view on the policy. And Francesca Albanese has agreed to take part and put forward her view on the legality of it,”
he said.
Corbyn linked the event to the Chilcot investigation into the Iraq war and stated that Albanese was "very keen to support it and get involved."
He went on to say that among other things, the sessions would look for explanations about the operation of the RAF Akrotiri airbase during the war.
According to the tribunal's website, it would "establish the full scale of our government's complicity in the genocide against the Palestinian people" and "examine Britain's role in war crimes perpetrated in Gaza" by "hearing from experts and witnesses."
22 NGOs, including Action Aid, supported Corbyn's request for an investigation last month and stated that, should the government reject his proposal, they would think about endorsing an independent tribunal.
What legal findings Francesca Albanese is expected to present?
Allegations of war crimes, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare, which she considers may amount to genocide or crimes against humanity. Evidence of disproportionate harm to civilians in Gaza, including deaths, injuries, displacement, and destruction of infrastructure critical for survival such as water, food, and healthcare.
Criticism of Israeli policies including the blockade of Gaza, military operations, and settlement activities, which she argues systematically violate the rights of Palestinians under international humanitarian law.
Calls for accountability through international mechanisms like the International Criminal Court (ICC), recommending investigations and prosecutions of Israeli officials and companies complicit in alleged violations.