Foreign Office staff told to resign if they don't agree with Gaza stance

Two senior foreign office officials told staff they should consider resigning if they fundamentally disagreed with UK policy on Gaza, after more than 300 civil servants raised alarm over the government’s complicity in Israel’s ongoing assault on the besieged Palestinian enclave.

The letter, seen by Foreign Secretary David Lammy in May, warned that the UK risks being complicit in violations of international law. Staff cited arms sales to Israel, continued diplomatic engagement, and silence over war crimes as key concerns.

"In July 2024, staff expressed concern about Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law and potential UK government complicity," the letter read. "Since then, the reality of Israel’s disregard for international law has only become more stark."

It referenced Israel's killing of 15 aid workers in March, its obstruction of emergency aid to Gaza, and repeated findings by humanitarian groups that Israel is using "starvation as a weapon of war". The letter also cited Israeli plans, openly backed by the US, for the mass forcible transfer of Gaza's population.

Staff accused the UK of enabling these abuses by continuing weapons exports and welcoming Israeli officials despite their open incitement. One cited example was the April visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to London, which took place amid widespread allegations of war crimes.

The letter warned that the UK was playing a role in "the erosion of global norms".

In a written response, Foreign Office Permanent Secretary Sir Philip Barton and development chief Nick Dyer said staff had ways to raise concerns but bluntly reminded them of their duty to implement government policy.

"If your disagreement with any aspect of government policy or action is profound," they wrote, "your ultimate recourse is to resign from the Civil Service. This is an honourable course."

The response sparked backlash inside the department. One official who signed the letter told the BBC the suggestion to resign was "met with outrage".

"There’s frustration and a deep sense of disappointment that the space for challenge is being further shut down," the official said, requesting anonymity.

Senior civil servants also said they had created a "Challenge Board" and listening sessions to hear concerns, but added that it "might be helpful" to remind staff of official channels, ultimately concluding that resignation remains the final option for those uncomfortable with policy.

"The bargain at the heart of the British Civil Service," they wrote, "is that we sign up to deliver the policies of the Government of the day wholeheartedly, within the limits imposed by the law and the Civil Service Code."

A former official who saw the response said it offered the government "plausible deniability" over its role in enabling breaches of international law.

They drew a direct comparison with the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War, saying the Foreign Office appeared unwilling to learn from past failures.

The New Arab has reached out to the foreign office for comment.

This is not the first time UK civil servants have spoken out. Previous internal letters, signed by staff across departments, embassies, and missions abroad, have condemned the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza, Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid, and the illegal expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Since October 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 61,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and has flattened entire neighbourhoods. Leading rights groups, including Amnesty International, have described Israel’s actions as genocide.