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LONDON

Former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn on Wednesday called for an independent public inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Israeli military operations in Gaza, urging the government to end arms sales to Israel and accusing ministers of complicity in what he described as “mass murder.”

Rising to his feet in the Commons under a 10-minute rule motion, the veteran MP for Islington North cited the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war, saying it exposed “serious failings” in British foreign policy.

“This inquiry could not be resisted by the government then, and it will be the same for Gaza today,” he said.

Corbyn pointed to the scale of destruction in Gaza, where more than 54,600 people have reportedly been killed, and highlighted that two senior Israeli officials are now wanted by the International Criminal Court.

“Britain has played a highly influential role in Israel’s military operations,” he told MPs, referencing the UK’s supply of weapons and components.

“It’s very simple: Until this government ends the sale of weapons to Israel, it will remain complicit in the mass-murder of Palestinians in Gaza at the present time.”

The former Labour leader called for greater transparency over the role UK military infrastructure has played in the conflict.

He accused the government of “evasion, obstruction, and silence” and said an inquiry must determine what weapons are being sent, which RAF bases are being used in connection with operations, and whether Israeli F-35 fighter jets are using parts supplied by the UK.

“The public deserves to know the scale of the UK complicity in these atrocities,” he concluded.

Corbyn’s bill, which was backed by more than 30 MPs, including some Labour backbenchers, was introduced without a vote.

Some Labour MPs attempted to raise their voices in opposition to provoke a division, but the speaker intervened to remind them that they could not oppose the bill while also voting for it.

As a result, the motion proceeded without a division, and the Commons moved on to the next item of business.

Despite the motion’s limited chance of becoming law, its presentation in the chamber underscores growing concern among some MPs over the UK’s relationship with Israel and its role in the ongoing conflict.

A forced vote on the bill would likely prompt Labour to instruct its MPs to abstain or vote against, a move that could expose divisions within the party on the issue of Gaza.