UK Foreign Office urges staff to resign for challenging UK policy on Gaza

Over 300 staff members at the UK Foreign Office, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, were urged to consider resignation after signing a letter raising serious concerns about the UK’s involvement in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The staff expressed fears that the government was becoming complicit in what they described as Israel’s alleged war crimes during its military operations in Gaza.

This letter, dated May 16, marks the fourth instance in which Foreign Office employees have internally protested UK policy regarding the conflict.

The conflict began after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023.

Signatories included personnel from British embassies worldwide, representing a broad range of roles and seniority levels.

In the letter, employees questioned the UK’s decision to continue arms exports to Israel and criticized what they referred to as Israel’s blatant disregard for international law.

They cited incidents such as the March killing of 15 humanitarian workers by Israeli forces and Israel’s suspension of aid to Gaza the same month.

These actions, they argued, have led many humanitarian groups to accuse Israel of using starvation as a weapon in warfare.

The staff also claimed that the UK’s actions had undermined international norms.

They pointed to the continued sale of arms components and a visit to London by Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar in April, despite concerns over international law violations.

Although the Foreign Office classified Sa’ar’s trip as private, he still met with Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

The employees’ letter also highlighted Israeli policy discussions about forcibly displacing Gaza’s population, which they claimed were made explicit under support from the former Trump administration.

In response, Oliver Robbins, the Foreign Office’s permanent under-secretary, and Nick Dyer, the department’s second-highest-ranking official, issued a formal reply.

They stated that while the department welcomed constructive feedback and dialogue, those who fundamentally disagreed with government policy should consider resignation, calling it an “honourable course.”

However, their reply did not engage with or address the specific complaints raised by the staff.

The letter reiterated that the UK civil service is bound by a principle of political neutrality and must implement the policies of the elected government within the legal framework and the civil service code.

The reply also reminded staff that multiple internal mechanisms exist for raising ethical or policy concerns, including a newly formed “Challenge Board” and scheduled listening sessions.

Regarding arms exports, the UK government maintains that Israel is “at risk” of violating international humanitarian law but insists that final judgments about potential war crimes must be made by international courts, a process likely to take years.

However, the government’s stance is under increasing scrutiny. Senior ministers will soon face questions from the business select committee over the ongoing export of parts for the F-35 fighter jet programme.

Though the UK is not directly selling arms to Israel, components produced in the UK are used in F-35 jets, which are operated by the Israeli military.

Officials claim that halting these exports could jeopardize NATO’s broader operational capabilities, as the F-35 programme supports collective European defense.

This exception to the UK’s arms embargo, introduced in September 2024, is currently being challenged in the High Court by legal advocacy groups, including the Global Legal Action Network and Al-Haq.

In its legal defense, the Foreign Office has argued that it found no conclusive evidence of genocide in Gaza.

Also, it says it cannot verify individual Israeli attacks due to a lack of definitive information, contradicting its earlier claim that only courts can determine breaches of international law.

In September, Foreign Secretary Lammy announced the suspension of about 30 arms export licenses to Israel, stating that the remaining licenses did not pertain to the Gaza conflict.

However, the government acknowledged that some of these still permitted sales to the Israel Defense Forces.

Israel denies all accusations of war crimes, stating that its military operations are targeted and necessary to defeat Hamas, which it alleges uses civilian infrastructure for cover.

Meanwhile, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has gathered support from 50 MPs for an independent public inquiry into the UK’s role in the conflict.

He also questioned why British RAF surveillance aircraft from Cyprus have flown over Gaza more than 300 times, reportedly searching for hostages.

The Foreign Office has yet to comment on whether Israel acted within legal bounds when intercepting the UK-flagged ship Madleen in international waters.

The vessel, carrying climate activist Greta Thunberg and others, aimed to protest the blockade of aid to Gaza.

According to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the 12 campaigners onboard were taken into custody by Israeli authorities.

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