Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with the Metropolitan Police on seeking evidence of war crimes committed in Israel on 7 October 2023.

Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) has national responsibility in the UK for investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity and this is carried out by the War Crimes Team (WCT). There is an ongoing operation to identify, capture and triage evidence in support of investigations by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and other relevant jurisdictions regarding possible war crimes, crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine since 21st November 2013. The Home Secretary regularly discusses priority security issues with CTP, including War Crimes investigations relating to the war in Ukraine [most recently in January 2024].

To gather evidence of war crimes, the Metropolitan Police SO15 War Crimes Team has worked with Ukrainian Community Groups in the UK, completing a number of appeals for witnesses through traditional and digital media platforms. The UK has embedded a dedicated Met Police liaison officer in The Hague to facilitate information sharing from the UK to the ICC.

The Home Office continues to support the work of the International Criminal Court to ensure allegations of war crimes are fully and fairly investigated, by independent, effective and robust legal mechanisms.