Ex-official was ordered to make UK arms report look ‘less bad’, Gaza tribunal hears

A former British foreign office official, Mark Smith, testified that he was ordered to alter a report on UK arms sales to the Middle East to make it look "less bad." Speaking at an unofficial inquiry into Britain's role in the Gaza war, he stated he was asked to downplay civilian casualties and expand sections on British efforts to improve munitions. Smith, who resigned over the war, also claimed that sensitive conversations at the Foreign Office were deliberately held in person to avoid being discoverable in court proceedings. This testimony was part of the final day of "The Gaza Tribunal," led by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.