Receive the complimentary Morning Headlines email containing updates from our journalists around the globe.
Subscribe to our complimentary Morning Headlines email service.
The Metropolitan Police have justified their inquiry into purported war crimes committed during the Israel-Gaza conflict, citing their obligation under an international agreement.
Boris Johnson and other opponents have expressed frustration over Scotland Yard’s call for individuals returning from Israel or the Palestinian territories to come forward if they have witnessed war crimes, terrorism, or crimes against humanity.
British airports, such as Heathrow, now have posters in both Arabic and English from the counterterrorism police. These posters state that if you have experienced or witnessed acts of terrorism, war crimes, or crimes against humanity in Israel or the Palestinian Territories, you can report it to the UK police.
There was an explosion in Khan Yunis caused by Israeli bombardment from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
The former prime minister expressed concern to The Telegraph about what he perceived as a troubling politicization of the Metropolitan Police.
Some individuals on social media were surprised to learn that the Metropolitan Police has a unit dedicated to investigating war crimes. Others criticized the force, arguing that it should focus its resources on addressing crime within London.
During my time as mayor of London, I firmly stated that we would not allow foreign conflicts to affect the safety of our streets. It is in the best interest of the Metropolitan Police to focus on combating knife crime within the city.
According to the 1998 Rome Statute, which created the International Criminal Court (ICC), the force stated its responsibility to assist with any investigations by the court that may involve British citizens.
A representative from Scotland Yard stated: “In its role as the UK’s investigative body for war crimes, Counter Terrorism Policing, through the Metropolitan Police’s war crimes division, bears the duty of aiding International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations.”
“In 2019, the International Criminal Court initiated a probe into purported war crimes in Israel and Palestine, which is currently ongoing.”
The war crimes team announced that they have received over 40 reports in the past few weeks regarding the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. Some of these reports were from individuals who had recently come back from the region.
“We are reviewing these referrals following our standard guidelines for evaluating allegations of war crimes. Any pertinent information will be shared with the International Criminal Court during their investigation into the situation in Palestine.”
At the moment, there is no ongoing investigation taking place in the UK regarding this issue.
The spokesperson also mentioned that as more British citizens are returning from the Middle East, the Metropolitan Police is providing guidance on where to report any evidence.
The Counter Terrorism Command is gathering evidence related to the terrorist attack against Israel on October 7. This evidence will be used in inquests for British citizens who were among the 1,200 casualties during the Hamas militant’s attack on Israel.
In the year 2022, the Metropolitan Police’s division for investigating war crimes initiated a request for details regarding Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s military actions in Ukraine, which began a month earlier. They are seeking information dating back to 2013 and will carefully evaluate which information to pass on to the International Criminal Court.
There is a page where cases of torture, genocide, and crimes against humanity can be reported in both Ukrainian and Russian languages.
According to the BBC, during the 1990s, a British retiree residing in Germany was under investigation by the war crimes unit for his suspected involvement in the Holocaust during World War Two. The investigation was prompted by a dossier of evidence that was sent to them by his son.
The division also investigated allegations of war crimes after the 2015 attack in Tunisia, where a shooter targeted tourists and killed 38 people, mostly British.
The source is from independent.co.uk.
