The UK Foreign Office has closed a specialized unit responsible for monitoring potential breaches of international law by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, a move attributed to departmental budget cuts and internal restructuring. The decision, revealed shortly after Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized the importance of upholding international law in her annual foreign policy address, marks the end of funding for the Centre for Information Resilience’s (CIR) conflict and security monitoring project.

The closed unit, known as the international humanitarian law (IHL) cell, was part of the Foreign Office’s conflict and atrocity prevention team. It played a crucial role in analyzing verified incidents in Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon, including assessing compliance with international humanitarian law principles such as proportionality and informing decisions on arms export controls. The unit’s closure means the Foreign Office will reportedly lose access to a comprehensive database maintained by CIR, which contains 26,000 verified incidents dating back to October 7, 2023—the date of the Hamas attacks on Israel that resulted in significant civilian casualties and abductions.

CIR’s work included extensive open-source investigations into alleged war crimes, including cases involving the shooting of minors in Gaza. The information provided by the center also supported the Metropolitan Police in their consideration of war crimes allegations and was utilized by UK diplomatic missions in Tel Aviv, Beirut, Damascus, and Jerusalem for rapid incident assessments. The conflict maps produced by CIR attracted tens of thousands of views, underscoring their importance in real-time conflict monitoring.

The cuts are linked to wider reductions in the UK’s overseas aid budget, which has been lowered to 0.3% of gross national income, though the government maintains a longer-term target of 0.7% when resources permit. Additionally, the closure follows a review initiated by Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office permanent secretary who was recently dismissed amid controversy unrelated to the unit’s work.

Cooper, in a recent speech, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to international law frameworks, describing respect for the rule of law as central to Britain’s values, national interest, and global standing. However, human rights and arms control advocates have criticized the closure. Yasmine Ahmed, director of Human Rights Watch, called the decision “damning,” expressing concern about the government’s compliance with arms export regulations and international treaty obligations amid ongoing global violations of international law.

Katie Fallon of Campaign Against Arms Trade suggested the closure serves to shield government officials amid allegations of data manipulation to sustain arms sales despite potential war crimes. She underscored the timing amid broader pressures within the civil service to deliver government-favored outcomes.

The Foreign Office has been approached for comment on the closure and its implications.