Burnham must establish an inquiry into Britain’s role in the Gaza genocide

What the report says

In an opinion article published by Al Jazeera on 14 September 2026, Neve Gordon argues that British leaders should create a formal inquiry into the UK’s role in Gaza. The piece says independent scrutiny has been delayed both on the current Gaza conflict and in the earlier Iraq war, and suggests that postponing accountability only deepens public suspicion about government conduct.

The article focuses on efforts linked to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who introduced legislation in June 2025 calling for a public, independent investigation into any UK military, economic or political cooperation with Israel since October 2023. According to the article, more than 50 MPs backed the proposal, but the government blocked it at second reading. Al Jazeera reports that Corbyn then organised a public tribunal in London in September 2025 with legal and academic figures, including Shahd Hammouri and the article’s author, to gather testimony from witnesses, journalists, survivors, doctors and experts.

The tribunal’s findings, as presented in the article, alleged that Britain had contributed to Israeli operations through weapons-related support, surveillance flights, use of airbases and political backing. Corbyn later submitted the findings to the International Criminal Court in March 2026, the article says. The broader argument is that public opinion in the UK has shifted and that official denial will not remove demands for truth and accountability.