UK minister Priti Patel 'resigns' after misleading officials over secret Israeli meetings while 'on holiday'

Patel, who occupies one of the more senior ministerial posts in government, apologised on Monday after it emerged that she met with prominent Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, while on holiday in Israel without telling the Foreign Office or the prime minister - who later met with Netanyahu, unaware her minister had already met him.

Despite ostensibly being on holiday with her family, Patel managed to hold 12 meetings with senior Israeli politicians, businessmen, and the prime minister.

She was accompanied in several of the meetings by pro-Israel Conservative lobbyist Lord Polak.

Patel, who was responsible for promoting development overseas, initially said the visit had been approved by the Foreign Office and Foreign Minister Boris Johnson.

On Monday, however, the Department for International Development (DFID) put out an extraordinary statement clarifying Patel's remarks, saying neither Johnson nor the Foreign Office knew about the visit in advance.

The senior minister was reprimanded by UK Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday, who reminded Patel of "the obligations which exist under the ministerial code".

Labour called for an investigation into whether the senior minister had breached the ministerial code or lobbying rules, with several MPs calling for her resignation.

In the latest twist to the undisclosed meetings scandal, the BBC reported on Tuesday that Patel had suggested Britain allocate some of its foreign aid budget to the Israeli army.

She reportedly asked her officials to examine whether the UK could support "humanitarian operations" conducted by the Israeli army in the occupied Golan Heights - Syrian territory captured and annexed by Israel in 1967.

The Foreign Office advised against any such support, the BBC reported, as Britain does not officially recognise Israel's annexation of the occupied territory.

Leading human rights charity War on Want said Priti's suggestion to give money to Israel's armed forces was "outrageous", calling on the minister to resign.

"The core function of the Israeli military is to enforce Israel's illegal occupation, and its brutal siege on the Gaza Strip", senior militarism and security campaigner, Ryvka Barnard, said.

"The UK government should be taking steps to end its ongoing complicity in Israel's oppression of  Palestinians, not increasing support by funnelling aid money to be used for more war crimes".

The UK gives around £68 million ($89 million) a year to the occupied Palestinian territories, most of which comes from the Department for International Development's (DFID) budget.

Patel has long been critical of funding to the Palestinian Authority, and in October 2016 as development secretary ordered a review of funding procedures and froze nearly a third of Britain's budget to the PA.

Before being appointed to DFID, Patel had said she wanted to see the department shut down. It is still at the heart of the government's foreign policy operations. The MP for Witham, however, is not.