A MAJOR tribunal looking into the UK's complicity in the genocide in Gaza is set to begin today.
The "Gaza tribunal", launched by Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn, is being held after the Labour Government blocked his bill to establish a public inquiry into the UK's role in Israel's brutal bombardment of Gaza.
The tribunal – which is taking place across Thursday and Friday – will consider the scale of the UK's complicity in the genocide, particularly concerning the supply of weapons, surveillance aircraft and the use of RAF bases in the region.
It will also consider whether the UK has lived up to its legal obligations, as well as hearing first-hand accounts from survivors and witnesses.
Among those set to speak include UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, as well as genocide scholar Dr Raz Segal, Mark Smith – a Foreign Office official who resigned in protest over continued arms sales to Israel – and the lawyer for the family of James Henderson, a World Central Kitchen aid worker who was killed in Gaza.
The tribunal will be chaired by:
- Jeremy Corbyn, independent MP and former Labour leader
- Neve Gordon, professor of human rights law at Queen Mary University, London, and the vice president of the British Society for Middle East Studies
- Shahd Hammouri, lecturer at the University of Kent in international law and legal theory from the Levant region
Speaking ahead of the tribunal, Corbyn said: “Just like Iraq, the government is doing everything it can to protect itself from scrutiny. Just like Iraq, it will not succeed in its attempts to suffocate the truth.
“We will uncover the full scale of British complicity in genocide – and we will bring about justice for the people of Palestine.”
“The British Government is hiding from accountability in Parliament, but there is also accountability before the people. We are talking here about liability for complicity with international crimes, and I welcome this tribunal as a crucial step in the vital pursuit for justice.”
How to watch Jeremy Corbyn's Gaza tribunal
The tribunal begins at 10am on Thursday morning.
It is taking place across Thursday and Friday in Westminster's Church House.
However, it is also being livestreamed. You can fill out your details to get a link to watch here.
Corbyn has also confirmed that all of the evidence submitted to the tribunal will be made available to the public.
Who is speaking at the Gaza tribunal?
Here is a full list of the 29 speakers set to take part in the tribunal.
- Professor Nick Maynard, surgeon who has worked in Gaza
- Hala Sabbah, co-founder of Sameer Project
- Abubaker Abed, Palestinian journalist evacuated to Dublin
- Jeff Halper, director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
- Emily Tripp, executive director, Airwars
- Natalie Roberts, executive director, Medecin Sans Frontieres (MSF)
- Yousef Alhelou, Palestinian filmmaker
- Ben Jamal, director, Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC)
- Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on Occupied Palestinian Territories
- Ralph Wilde, lawyer and academic
- Paula Gaviria Betancur, UN special rapporteur on rights of IDPs
- Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, UN special rapporteur on water and sanitation
- Katie Fallon, Campaign Against Arms Trade
- Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East
- John McEvoy, Declassified UK
- Charlotte Andrews-Briscoe, lawyer, Global Legal Action Network
- Nicos Trimikliniotis, Cypriot professor and Bases Off Cyprus campaign
- Matt Kennard, journalist, Palestine Deep Dive
- Forz Khan, lawyer for Henderson family
- Mark Smith, former civil servant
- Fran Heathcote, general secretary, PCS union
- Sara Husseini, director, British Palestine Committee
- Eyal Weizman, director, Forensic Architecture
- Richard Falk, professor of international law and practice
- Rami Khayal, Palestinian Youth Movement
- Guillaume Long, advisor, The Hague Group
- Raz Segal, genocide scholar
- Dr Gearoid O Cuinn, director, Global Legal Action Network
- Tayab Ali, director, International Centre of Justice for Palestinians
