The Metropolitan Police has withdrawn its decision not to investigate allegations that British nationals committed war crimes while serving with the Israeli army in Gaza, following a legal challenge brought by a British-Palestinian human rights campaigner.
The reversal means that the force’s previous decision no longer stands and its War Crimes Team will conduct a fresh assessment of the evidence relating to four identifiable British nationals.
British-Palestinian campaigner Lubna Speitan challenged the decision with the assistance of the Public Interest Law Centre (PILC). Lawyers sent the Metropolitan Police a detailed letter before action threatening judicial-review proceedings over its handling of the case.
The original referral was submitted by PILC and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) on April, 2025. It alleged that ten British nationals had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity while taking part in Israeli military operations in Gaza.
After reviewing the evidence, the Metropolitan Police narrowed its focus to four identifiable British nationals. However, on 27 April, 2026, the War Crimes Team informed the organisations that it would not open a criminal investigation, claiming that the available evidence was insufficient.
