Civil servants responsible for overseeing arms exports to Israel have called for an “immediate halt to their work” over fears they may be committing war crimes in Gaza.

Officials at the Department of Business and Trade (DBT) have expressed concerns to senior civil servants that they could be held liable if Israel is deemed to have breached international law.

POLITICO LIVE: Former foreign minister strikes back after investigation into Israeli comments

In letters seen by Sky News, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents civil servants, has requested an urgent meeting with the department to discuss “the legal dangers faced by civil servants who continue to develop this policy”.

The letter, sent on Wednesday, said: “Given the impact on our members, we believe there are good grounds for suspending all such work with immediate effect.

“We therefore ask that you urgently meet with us to discuss this matter and cease work immediately.”

Letters show the PCS has been asking the government for legal advice on arming Israel since January, when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) initially ruled that Israel’s actions in Gaza could amount to genocide.

A response to the union on March 13 stated that “the issue of criminal liability for civil servants is unlikely to arise”.

However, the department said it was unable to share the legal advice it had received as it was “confidential”.

Labor MP John McDonnell, a founding member of the parliamentary PCS union group, said the government must “come clean”.

He told Sky News: “These civil servants should not be put at risk. The Rome Statute, which covers war crimes, makes it clear that following instructions from superiors is not a defense when it comes to war crimes charges. The government must confess legal errors.” They There are suggestions. “

Chancellor Rishi Sunak faces growing pressure to suspend arms sales to Israel Three British rescue workers killed in airstrike on Monday.

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Follow Sky News for all the latest news from the UK and around the world

click here

Last night, an open letter signed by more than 600 lawyers, including former Supreme Court judges, Warned that Britain’s continued arming of Israel was a violation of international law.

The government does not supply weapons directly to Israel but grants export licenses to British companies to sell weapons to the country.

The United States remains by far Israel’s largest arms supplier, with Foreign Minister Andrew Mitchell recently telling MPs that British exports accounted for just 0.02% of Israel’s military imports.

A government spokesman said: “We are reviewing the recommendation that Israel comply with international humanitarian law and will act on it.

“All export license applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against strategic export license criteria.”