Mark Smith, a counter-terrorism official at the British embassy in Dublin, has resigned over the UK’s refusal to ban arms exports to Israel. He cited clear evidence of war crimes and breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza, which he said were being ignored by the government.
Smith stated he raised numerous internal complaints, including through official whistleblowing channels, but received only pro-forma responses. He detailed examples such as Israeli soldiers destroying civilian property, blocking humanitarian aid, and targeting schools and hospitals, calling them war crimes.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office declined to comment on the individual case but reaffirmed the government’s commitment to upholding international law. The Labour government has pledged to review arms sales policy, though no decision has been reached. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has indicated the UK may continue allowing defensive weapons but cut off offensive ones.
Smith expressed deep concern at being disregarded as a senior officer and noted that many colleagues shared his worries. His resignation email was circulated widely across government departments. He described himself as a subject-matter expert on arms sales policy after a long diplomatic career.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories, praised Smith’s actions as brave and hoped others would follow. The UK is also facing a judicial review over its arms sales policy to Israel.
