The Metropolitan police has U-turned on its decision not to investigate Brits who served with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

The Met’s war crimes team received a landmark 240-page dossier of evidence in April 2025, submitted by legal experts on behalf of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and the Public Interest Law Centre (PILC).

The dossier alleged that ten British nationals – including dual citizens – had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity while fighting with the IDF in Gaza, including “wilful killing, extermination, attacking civilians, and deportation or forcible transfer of population”.

A year later, Novara Media revealed that the Met had decided not to open an investigation. This was despite more than 70 legal and human rights experts urging the police to take action in accordance with international law.

The Met has now backtracked after British-Palestinian human rights campaigner Lubna Speitan, who is represented by the PILC, threatened judicial review proceedings against the force.

Following the possibility of a legal challenge, the Met confirmed it will open a “fresh scoping exercise” in relation to four of the ten British nationals.

Scoping exercises are undertaken by the Met’s war crimes team to decide whether to conduct a full investigation.

PILC legal director Paul Heron said: “These allegations concern some of the gravest crimes known to international law.

“Where there are identifiable British nationals alleged to have participated in such crimes, it is essential that investigative decisions are taken on the fullest evidential basis possible.”

Over 2,000 Brits have served in Israel’s military during the genocide in Gaza, Declassified UK revealed in February.

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