Scottish MPs back call for UK inquiry into Gaza war

Scottish MPs have backed a call for the UK government to establish an independent public inquiry into the UK’s involvement in the Gaza war.
An open letter penned by Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader turned independent MP, has been signed by 30 other MPs and five Lords.
SNP MP Chris Law and Scottish Labour MP Brian Leishman both signed the letter.
The letter states: “In the aftermath of the Iraq War, several attempts were made to establish an inquiry surrounding the conduct of British military operations. Published in 2016, the Chilcot inquiry found serious failings within the British government, which ignored the warnings of millions of ordinary people over its disastrous decision to go to war.
“History is repeating itself. Today, the death toll in Gaza has exceeded 61,000. Two Israeli officials are now wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“Britain has played a highly influential role in Israel’s military operations, including the sale of weapons, the supply of intelligence and the use of Royal Air Force (RAF) bases in Cyprus.
“Transparency and accountability are cornerstones of democracy. Therefore, we are demanding an independent, public inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Israel’s military assault in Gaza.
“This inquiry should establish exactly what decisions have been taken, how these decisions have been made, and what consequences they have had. Any meaningful inquiry would require the full co-operation from government ministers involved in decision-making processes since October 2023.
“Many people believe that the government has taken decisions that have implicated officials in the gravest breaches of international law. These charges will not go away until there is a comprehensive inquiry with the legal power to establish the truth.”