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Geopolitics · Middle East

Burnham rejects Corbyn's call for public inquiry into 'British complicity' in Gaza genocide

Andy Burnham rejected Jeremy Corbyn’s call for a public inquiry into Britain’s role in Gaza. Corbyn said an inquiry could examine UK supplies of F-35 components to Israel and RAF reconnaissance flights over Gaza.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 5 outlets' reporting · Article text read from 1 of 5 outletsHow it's made

View timeline · 8 entries
5 outlets2 regionsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Left OnlyL 3 · C 0 · R 0 · 2 unrated
Updat3 graphic: United Kingdom
Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

  • Andy Burnham rejected Jeremy Corbyn’s call for a public inquiry into Britain’s role in Gaza (per newarab.com, morningstaronline.co.uk, thenational.scot).
  • Jeremy Corbyn said he would pursue an inquiry despite the UK government’s refusal to launch one (per newarab.com).
  • Corbyn said an inquiry could examine Britain’s supply of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel and RAF reconnaissance flights over Gaza (per newarab.com).
  • Corbyn called for a “very profound apology” to the Palestinian people over the British government’s arms supply and military cooperation with the Israeli Defence Force (per newarab.com).

The brief

Andy Burnham rejected Jeremy Corbyn’s call for a public inquiry into Britain’s role in Gaza, while Corbyn said he would continue pursuing an inquiry despite the UK government’s refusal to launch one. The New Arab reported that Corbyn’s proposed inquiry concerns Britain’s connections to Israel’s military activity in Gaza, including arms supplies and RAF reconnaissance flights.

Corbyn first introduced the Gaza (Independent Public Inquiry) Bill in June 2025 and reintroduced it in the 2026–27 parliamentary session, according to The New Arab. He said an inquiry could address questions about Britain’s supply of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel and RAF flights over Gaza.

The legislation’s reintroduction and Burnham’s rejection are the central developments in the account. The Campaign Against Arms Trade says UK companies manufacture around 15% of the components used in F-35 fighter jets. The organisation also says Israel has deployed the aircraft in its assault on Gaza.

The New Arab reports these details as context for the questions Corbyn wants an inquiry to examine; they do not establish how particular components were used in individual operations. Action on Armed Violence says the RAF conducted more than 600 reconnaissance flights over Gaza between December 2023 and July 2025. Corbyn cited the flights as another subject for an inquiry.

The New Arab does not describe what information the flights collected, or how it was used. Corbyn also called for what he described as a “very profound apology” to the Palestinian people. He linked that request to the British government’s continued supply of arms and military cooperation with the Israeli Defence Force, particularly since October 2023.

That is Corbyn’s stated position, as reported by The New Arab. The proposed inquiry would examine the UK government’s role through the specific mechanisms Corbyn identified: military components supplied by UK companies and RAF reconnaissance activity.

The New Arab reports that the government has refused to launch a probe and that Corbyn intends to pursue the inquiry through his bill. The account does not provide a further decision on the bill or an explanation from Burnham for rejecting the call.

Why it matters

  • Corbyn’s proposed inquiry would scrutinise the UK government’s arms supply and military cooperation with the Israeli Defence Force, which he links to a requested apology to the Palestinian people.
  • UK companies manufacture around 15% of F-35 components, according to the Campaign Against Arms Trade; Corbyn says Britain’s supply of those parts to Israel merits inquiry.
  • The RAF conducted more than 600 reconnaissance flights over Gaza between December 2023 and July 2025, according to Action on Armed Violence, another subject Corbyn says an inquiry could examine.

What to watch next

  • Whether Jeremy Corbyn continues pursuing the Gaza (Independent Public Inquiry) Bill in the 2026–27 parliamentary session.
  • Whether the UK government changes its refusal to launch a probe.
  • Whether Andy Burnham provides an explanation for rejecting Corbyn’s call.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
5 source articles · 5 unique outlets
Outlet political mix: Left Only· 3 Left · 2 unrated
Where the outlets are based: Europe 40% · Unknown 40% · Other 20%
Outlet political mix
Left Only
Left
Center
Right
3 outlets
0 outlets
0 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 2 unrated outlets are not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
5 unique outletsDominant coverage: Europe
Coverage imbalance
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among Left-rated outlets (3 of 3 rated sources); comparatively few Center or Right-rated outlets have published on the event.
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. The conflict’s immediate context included Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which began in 1967.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. The UK Parliament passed the Export Control Act, providing the legal framework for UK arms-export controls.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  3. Israel withdrew its settlements and permanent ground forces from Gaza.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. Hamas took control of Gaza, after which Israel imposed a blockade.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. The Arms Trade Treaty entered into force, requiring states to assess risks associated with arms exports.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  6. On 7 October 2023, Hamas-led attackers killed people in Israel and took hostages.
    Background · from our historical context
  7. The UK Ministry of Defence announced on 3 December 2023 that British surveillance flights over Gaza had begun, saying information would be passed to Israeli authorities only when it related to the rescue of hostages.
    Background · from our historical context
  8. On 2 September 2024, the UK government suspended around 30 arms-export licences to Israel after concluding there was a clear risk that some equipment could be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law.
    Background · from our historical context

How we got here

On 2 September 2024, the UK government suspended around 30 arms-export licences to Israel after concluding there was a clear risk that some equipment could be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law.

The UK Ministry of Defence announced on 3 December 2023 that British surveillance flights over Gaza had begun, saying information would be passed to Israeli authorities only when it related to the rescue of hostages. These decisions formed part of the background to later scrutiny of Britain’s military cooperation with Israel.

Original sources

2 of 5 articles · Europe · Show all

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