Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has publicly questioned Health Secretary Wes Streeting over his decision not to resign following his private acknowledgment of alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza. In a letter dated Thursday, Corbyn labeled Streeting’s inaction as a “shameful failure” and criticized him for not revealing that the Labour government under Keir Starmer was “complicit in war crimes.”
Corbyn’s letter, seen by Middle East Eye, follows revelations about text message exchanges between Streeting and former British Ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson. These messages were reportedly an attempt to counter speculation regarding Streeting’s friendship with Mandelson, who recently resigned from the Labour Party due to his connection with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a message from July 2025, Streeting stated that Israel was “committing war crimes before our eyes” and described distressing accounts of violence against women and children from medics he met in Gaza. He criticized the Israeli government for its rhetoric, calling it “the language of ethnic cleansing.”
Corbyn highlighted a critical point in his correspondence, asserting that once a government acknowledges war crimes, any continuing military or political support constitutes complicity. He stated, “It is now a matter of public record that you decided to serve in the cabinet of a government that was providing military, economic and diplomatic support to a state that was breaching international law.”
Despite the UK Labour government maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel and implementing a partial arms embargo, Starmer’s administration has faced scrutiny for its ongoing military collaboration amid reports of violence in Gaza.
Streeting, widely seen as a potential successor to Starmer, expressed in his texts that Israel’s actions amounted to “rogue state behaviour.” He advocated for sanctions against Israel, suggesting that they should be applied at the state level rather than targeting individual ministers.
Corbyn pressed Streeting with pointed questions: “If you believe Israel was committing war crimes, why did you not resign from a government that was continuing to provide military and economic support to Israel?” He also inquired whether Streeting believes the Labour government is complicit in war crimes and if he would be willing to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in any investigations.
Corbyn emphasized the historical significance of the current government’s actions, stating, “Our history books will shame government ministers who could have stopped the genocide in Gaza, but chose to stay silent instead.”
This correspondence comes in the wake of David Lammy, the then-Foreign Secretary, suggesting in March 2025 that Israel was committing a “breach of international law.” Despite his past comments, Streeting has not publicly called for sanctions against Israel or formally accused the state of war crimes, although he did assert last September that Israeli President Isaac Herzog “needs to answer the allegations of war crimes, of ethnic cleansing and of genocide that are being levelled at the government of Israel.”
As the debate continues, the implications of these allegations and the responses from senior Labour officials remain critical in shaping public and political discourse on the UK’s foreign policy regarding Israel and Gaza.
