UN official to join tribunal on UK complicity in Gaza war

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine, is set to participate in a tribunal examining the United Kingdom’s alleged complicity in the Gaza war, Middle East Eye reported on August 25th.

The two-day “Gaza tribunal” will be convened in September by former Labour Party leader and now independent MP Jeremy Corbyn. The unofficial inquiry will hear testimonies from Palestinian survivors as well as international law experts. Corbyn confirmed Albanese’s attendance during an August 23rd appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, noting that she will face questions regarding the reported use of Royal Air Force (RAF) bases in Cyprus to support Israel’s military campaign.

The tribunal comes after Corbyn’s failed attempt to establish an official independent inquiry through parliamentary legislation, a move blocked by the Labour government.

The UK has long been a supporter of Israel throughout the war in Gaza, first under the Conservative Party and then under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour administration after it came to power in 2024. While leader of the opposition, Starmer endorsed Israel’s starvation policy of cutting food, water, and electricity to Gaza, a tactic which deliberately targeted civilians in the enclave.

Although Labour has since moderated its stance by calling for a ceasefire and greater aid access, the UK continues to provide support through intelligence-sharing. What’s more, Surveillance flights over Gaza supply Israel with information that can be used in military operations.

Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice has ruled that there are plausible grounds to believe Israel is committing genocide, while the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare.

Corbyn has compared the planned tribunal to previous inquiries into the UK’s involvement in the invasion of Iraq. Announcing the initiative in July 2025, he declared: “Just like Iraq, government ministers are doing everything they can to hide the truth. Just like Iraq, they will not succeed.”

“They cannot stop the inevitable: a full and independent inquiry. We will uncover the full scale of British complicity in genocide – and we will bring about justice for the people of Palestine.”