Civil servants overseeing arms exports to Israel have requested to “cease work immediately” over fears they could be complicit in war crimes in Gaza.
Officials in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) have raised concerns with senior civil servants that they may be liable if it is deemed Israel has broken international law.
Labour MP John McDonnell, a founding member of the PCS union group in parliament, said following a government’s instructions is not a defence when it comes to charges of war crimes - and ministers must “come clean” with the legal advice it is receiving.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come under growing pressure to suspend arms sales to Israel after three British aid workers were killed in an airstrike on Monday.
Last night, a letter signed by more than 600 lawyers, including former Supreme Court justices, warned the UK is breaching international law by continuing to arm Israel.
There has been pressure within the Conservative Party to end exports - with MPs Flick Drummond, David Jones and Paul Bristow urging the government to reconsider.
The original article contains 674 words, the summary contains 178 words. Saved 74%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Civil servants overseeing arms exports to Israel have requested to “cease work immediately” over fears they could be complicit in war crimes in Gaza.
Officials in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) have raised concerns with senior civil servants that they may be liable if it is deemed Israel has broken international law.
Labour MP John McDonnell, a founding member of the PCS union group in parliament, said following a government’s instructions is not a defence when it comes to charges of war crimes - and ministers must “come clean” with the legal advice it is receiving.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come under growing pressure to suspend arms sales to Israel after three British aid workers were killed in an airstrike on Monday.
Last night, a letter signed by more than 600 lawyers, including former Supreme Court justices, warned the UK is breaching international law by continuing to arm Israel.
There has been pressure within the Conservative Party to end exports - with MPs Flick Drummond, David Jones and Paul Bristow urging the government to reconsider.
The original article contains 674 words, the summary contains 178 words. Saved 74%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!