According to the Guardian, Mark Smith, a counter-terrorism official based at the British embassy in Dublin announced his resignation on Sunday, saying that he used to work in the area of licensing arms exports to the Middle East, and that he and his colleagues "witnessed "glaring examples" of Israel's violation of international human rights in Gaza.
"Senior Israeli cabinet and military members have expressed open genocidal intent, Israeli soldiers take videos deliberately burning, destroying and looting civilian property," Smith wrote in his resignation letter, which was posted online to his colleagues. “Over half of Gaza’s homes and over 80% of Gaza’s commercial properties have been damaged or destroyed”.
Smith, who worked as second secretary at the UK Embassy in Dublin, added: “Whole streets and universities have been demolished, humanitarian aid is being blocked and civilians are regularly left with no safe quarter to flee to. Red Crescent ambulances have been attacked; schools and hospitals are regularly targeted. These are war crimes.”
He emphasized that, therefore, “no justification for the UK’s continued arms sales to Israel, yet somehow it continues.”
The Labour government has pledged to review the policy of arms sales to Israel, but has so far not come to any decision.
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