UK to Stop Tracking Potential Israeli Violations in Project

FCDO Unit Shut Down Amid Funding Cuts

A unit within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) responsible for documenting potential war crimes in Israel’s conflict with Gaza has been closed due to funding cuts, according to a report by The Guardian. The London-based newspaper stated that the FCDO has implemented an internal restructuring, resulting in the closure of the international humanitarian law cell.

As a result, funding for the Conflict and Security Monitoring Project, which is run by the independent group Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), will also cease. CIR’s work included open-source monitoring of incidents in occupied Palestine, Israel, and Lebanon, with data dating back to October 2023. The centre conducted over 20 investigations covering topics such as shootings of children in Gaza.

The FCDO has confirmed that the cell’s work will be continued by a different team within the department. A spokesperson stated that the government would retain access to CIR research it had funded and that the project’s reports were just one element of its assessments and approach to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) issues.

The FCDO has faced significant funding reductions, with plans to shrink its workforce by up to 25 percent announced in July. The department has also seen internal divisions over arms sales to Israel. In November, the FCDO announced plans to abolish a unit dedicated to emerging conflicts and displacement crises.

The closure of the international humanitarian law cell marks the latest development in the FCDO’s restructuring efforts.

Source: Al Jazeera