A major new campaign launched by Declassified UK and the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) is calling on the British government to investigate UK nationals who served with the Israeli military during the Gaza war, warning that individuals accused of involvement in war crimes may have returned to Britain without facing any official scrutiny.
The campaign, titled “Nobody Wants to Live Next to a War Criminal,” follows revelations that more than 2,000 British citizens have served in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) since October 2023. According to campaign organisers, the information did not originate from British authorities but emerged through a Freedom of Information request submitted to the Israeli military by a lawyer in Israel.
Campaigners argue that the UK government’s failure to track citizens who joined a foreign military force involved in one of the world’s most controversial conflicts represents a significant gap in public accountability.
“The UK government’s failure to collect data on the movements of potential war criminals or properly investigate their activities raises serious concerns,” the campaign states. Organisers further warn that “individuals who have returned from committing war crimes in Gaza may now be living alongside us and working in public institutions such as hospitals, the police, and schools.”
At the heart of the initiative is a simple but provocative message.
“Nobody wants to live next to a war criminal – not least members of the Palestinian community in the UK who have family or friends who have been subjected to war crimes,” the campaign argues. Organisers say the issue is not merely one of foreign policy but of public safety, transparency and justice within Britain itself.
The campaign is demanding that the government begin monitoring the movements of British nationals who have served in the IDF, subject returning fighters to additional screening where appropriate at ports of entry, and support comprehensive war crimes investigations in accordance with both domestic and international law.
These demands come amid growing international pressure for accountability over the Gaza conflict. Organisers point to the recent meeting of the Hague Group, which brought together forty states seeking greater enforcement of international law concerning Palestine. They argue that Britain should take similar steps to ensure that allegations of serious crimes are properly investigated.
The campaign’s open letter has already attracted support from more than sixty public figures, including human rights lawyer Michael Mansfield, genocide scholar Martin Shaw, former British Army Major General Charlie Herbert, former South African MP and anti-apartheid campaigner Andrew Feinstein, Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski and veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott. Organisers say the breadth of support reflects growing concern that Britain has failed to adequately investigate allegations involving its citizens who served in Gaza.
The launch comes shortly after London’s Metropolitan Police concluded a scoping exercise involving ten British nationals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity while fighting in Gaza. According to campaign organisers, the Met determined that an effective investigation could not be conducted and that there was no realistic prospect of securing convictions. Critics argue that the decision means there has still not been a single prosecution of a British citizen alleged to have committed crimes while serving with Israeli forces during the conflict.
Campaigners contrast this approach with the British government’s warnings regarding Ukraine. Foreign Office travel advice explicitly cautions that travelling to Ukraine to fight may constitute criminal offences under UK law and could result in prosecution upon return. No equivalent warning appears in official travel guidance relating to service with the Israeli military. Organisers also note that while no British citizen has been prosecuted for serving in what they describe as a genocidal army, thousands of people have been arrested in Britain over Palestine-related protests.
Jonathan Purcell, ICJP’s Head of Public Affairs and Communications, said the issue represents a serious concern for British society.
“It’s possible that British people are taking part in a genocide and returning home to live, work and socialise alongside us. It is a truly chilling thought and it poses a serious threat to our national security,” Purcell said.
“The UK government must take this seriously and ensure it thoroughly investigates individuals who have gone to fight for the IDF, a genocidal army that has perpetrated countless war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Laura Pidcock, co-director of Declassified UK, said the possibility that individuals who may have participated in atrocities could return to Britain without investigation was deeply troubling.
“To think, after everything we have witnessed over the last two years in Gaza – the way in which the population has been systematically killed, tortured, starved and displaced, with infrastructure destroyed and life made untenable by genocide – that there could potentially be people in Britain who participated in war crimes and yet not being investigated by authorities is staggering,” Pidcock said.
“We urge as many people as possible to sign this letter asking for these entirely reasonable steps to be taken.”
The campaign reflects a broader debate unfolding across Britain over how the country should respond to allegations arising from the Gaza war. Supporters argue that investigating returning fighters is a matter of public safety and adherence to international law, while critics of such measures may contend that allegations should be assessed individually and that guilt cannot be presumed without evidence and due process.
As international legal scrutiny of the Gaza conflict continues, organisers hope their campaign will place additional pressure on Westminster to address what they view as a significant accountability gap. Whether the government responds remains to be seen, but the initiative has already intensified debate over Britain’s responsibilities toward its citizens who participate in foreign conflicts and the standards that should apply when allegations of war crimes emerge.
