THE MINISTRY of Defence has admitted that Israeli troops are currently being trained in Britain as the government is accused of “active participation” in the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

Armed forces minister Luke Pollard responded to a parliamentary question from Rachael Maskell MP by saying that Britain is “currently training” Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) personnel on “UK-based training courses.”

Mr Pollard said the training was one part of a “routine defence engagement” with Israel.

His response followed investigations into the British army’s training of Israeli personnel by media outlet Declassified.

Labour MP Richard Burgon, who chairs the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs, told the Morning Star the admission was “truly sickening, especially given the genocide being carried out in Gaza.

“It’s also a flagrant violation of international law. The International Court of Justice has been totally clear that all states must stop any co-operation that aids Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine.

“Britain has a moral and legal duty to immediately end all arms sales and military co-operation with Israel.”

The Scottish Greens also hit back at the government’s admission, saying Britain’s role in the Gaza war “goes beyond complicity.”

Party co-leader Patrick Harvie MSP said: “This is nothing short of disgraceful. This goes beyond complicity — it is direct, active participation in the genocide of the Palestinian people.

“The UK is actively training members of the Israeli military while they carry out a brutal assault on Gaza.

“Every bomb dropped, every home destroyed, every child killed is a crime that the UK government is now tied to.

“Training soldiers who are part of these atrocities is a betrayal of every principle of human rights and international law. It must stop now.”

Palestine Solidarity Campaign deputy director Peter Leary said the “disgraceful” revelation highlights the total inadequacy of the government’s actions.

“On Tuesday, Britain announced long-overdue sanctions against two Israeli ministers but continues to supply weapons to a regime that is perpetrating well-documented war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“We need much more than just a change of rhetoric and blocks on two ministers’ bank accounts.

“We need a full arms embargo, wide-ranging sanctions on the Israeli state, and a complete end to all military co-operation now.”

In a statement to the Morning Star, a spokeswoman from the Stop The War Coalition said: “That Britain is actively involved in training a foreign military currently engaged in genocide comes as little surprise given Labour ministers have been actively enabling the brutality of the IDF throughout.

“The political rhetoric may be starting to shift as Keir Starmer, David Lammy and the rest try to realign their government’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza in an attempt to placate public opposition.

“But it’s clearer than ever just how deep their collaboration with and enabling of war crimes goes.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recently announced sanctions against two top Israeli politicians, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, for inciting violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Sir Keir was quickly condemned by his allies in Washington over the sanctions.

Britain’s role in the war has come under new scrutiny as ministers face sustained public pressure for action to bring Israel’s war on Gaza to an end.

Islington North MP and former Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn recently received support from 45 MPs for his Gaza Inquiry Bill, which calls for an independent investigation into British complicity in Israel’s war crimes.

He renewed calls for an inquiry after the admission Britain is still training Israeli troops.

Posting on social media, he wrote: “This is a shocking, damning admission.

“The UK is arming Israel. It is conducting surveillance flights for Israel. It is training military personnel for Israel.

“A full, independent, public inquiry into the UK’s complicity in the Gaza genocide cannot come soon enough.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “A limited number of Israeli Defence Forces personnel are currently enrolled in non-combat military academic courses in the UK.”

“It is longstanding policy for our educational courses to be open to military personnel from a wide range of countries. All UK military courses emphasise the critical importance of compliance with international humanitarian law.”

The official death toll in Gaza from Israel’s invasion exceeded 55,000 people this week.