Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 24
24
Rejected
Offer UK support and expertise to establish a Gaza project recording conflict evidence.
Conclusion
In April 2025, members of the Foreign Affairs Committee visited Ukraine, where they saw the work of the Global Rights Alliance collecting evidence of acts during the conflict for potential future legal processes. This is supported by the UK Government and is a commendable project. The UK Government should offer its support, including its expertise and contacts, to set up a similar project in Gaza to preserve and record evidence on both sides of the conflict. (Recommendation, Paragraph 123) Wider regional context
Government Response Summary
The government partially agreed but rejected the recommendation to set up a similar evidence-gathering project in Gaza, stating the model used in Ukraine would not work due to the lack of a state partner or structures on the ground and access challenges.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. The UK has consistently called on all parties to comply with international law in Palestine and agrees with the committee on the importance of accountability. We have been clear that we respect the independence of the international courts and have supported the courts in their important work. In May this year, the UK participated in the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Israel’s obligations as an Occupying Power and as a member of the UN, putting forward strong support for UNRWA and the ICRC. In relation to the conflict in Gaza, we have called for independent investigations into incidents where there are reports of breaches of international humanitarian law and accountability for those found responsible, including at the UN Security Council. The Government welcomes the Committee’s commendation of the work in Ukraine. With US and EU partners, the UK launched the Atrocity Crimes Advisory group (ACA) in May 2022 as a co-ordinating mechanism to support Ukraine’s domestic investigations and prosecutions of core international crimes. The Government does not agree that this particular model would work in the context of Gaza, given the lack of a state partner or structures to work with on the ground and the challenges of access. Recommendation 25