UK refuses to say if it would arrest Netanyahu after ICC warrant
The home secretary has not disclosed whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be taken into custody if he arrived in the UK, following the issuance of an international arrest warrant against him.
On Thursday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) released arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defense secretary Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the conflict in Gaza.
Yvette Cooper stated that the International Criminal Court (ICC), of which the UK is a member, operates independently. While the government acknowledges this independence, she mentioned that it "wouldn't be suitable for me to make any comments" regarding the procedures they follow.
She mentioned to Sky News: "We have always valued the significance of international law, but most of the cases they handle don't integrate into the British legal system."
"What I can say is that the UK government clearly maintains that the priority should be achieving a ceasefire in Gaza."
Emily Thornberry, the Labour chair of the foreign affairs committee in Parliament, stated on Sky News, "Should Netanyahu visit Britain, we would be required to detain him according to the warrant issued by the ICC, as per our commitments under the Rome Convention."
"It's not so much about whether we should do it; rather, we have to because we're part of the ICC."
Following its victory in the July election, the government announced that it would not stand in the way of the ICC's authority to issue the warrants.
The International Criminal Court has also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al Masri, who is believed to have orchestrated the attacks in Israel on October 7. He is facing accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israel asserts that Al Masri was killed earlier this year; however, the ICC stated that this has not been verified, prompting them to issue the arrest warrant.
Netanyahu's office claimed that the warrants issued for him and Gallant were motivated by anti-Semitism, expressing that Israel "strongly denounces these ridiculous and untrue actions."
Both Israel and the United States are not members of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Israel has dismissed the court's authority and refutes any allegations of war crimes in Gaza.
U.S. President Joe Biden called the warrants issued against Israeli leaders "unbelievable," stating, "No matter what the ICC suggests, there is absolutely no comparison between Israel and Hamas."
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett referred to the arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu and Gallant as a "stain of disgrace" for the International Criminal Court.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews stated that the ICC's decision conveyed a "very negative message."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Friday that he plans to invite Netanyahu to Hungary and assured that the arrest warrant against him would "not be enforced."
Nonetheless, both France and Italy indicated that they would detain Netanyahu if he visited their nations.
Explore further: Insights from satellite imagery concerning North Gaza. Hamas expresses willingness for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
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The ICC initially announced in May that it was pursuing arrest warrants for the three individuals due to alleged offenses. On Thursday, it confirmed that it had dismissed objections from Israel and had formally issued the arrest warrants.
In its latest update, the ICC stated that it has found "credible reasons to suspect" that Netanyahu and Gallant "could be held criminally responsible" for the alleged offenses.
The court stated that these encompass "using starvation as a tactic in war, as well as the crimes against humanity such as murder, persecution, and various cruel actions."
This marks the first instance in which a current leader from a significant Western ally has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity by an international court.
