Civil servants told to consider quitting if they disagree with policy over Gaza

More than 300 Foreign Office staff who raised concerns about potential UK “complicity” in Israel’s conduct in Gaza were told if they profoundly disagreed with government policy they could consider resigning.

The staff letter, seen by the BBC, was sent to Foreign Secretary David Lammy last month.

In it, officials questioned the UK’s continued arms sales and what they called a “stark… disregard for international law” by Israel.

The Foreign Office said it had systems for staff to raise concerns and added the government had “rigorously applied international law” in relation to the war in Gaza.

The reply to the staff letter was sent from Sir Oliver Robbins and Nick Dyer, the two most senior civil servants in the Foreign Office.

They told the signatories: “[I]f your disagreement with…