ADVERTISEMENT

The United Kingdom will not intervene in the International Criminal Court’s request to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said on Friday.

The announcement reverses the plans of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was ousted earlier this month after Keir Starmer’s Labour Party won a landslide victory over the Conservatives.

“This was a proposal from the previous government that was not put forward before the election and I can confirm that the government will not be pursuing this in line with our long-standing position that this is a matter for the courts to decide,” a spokesman for Starmer said.

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan accused Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders – Yehya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh – of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders condemned the move as outrageous and anti-Semitic. US President Joe Biden also criticized the prosecutor and supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas — as did Sunak.

Khan requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant in May over Israel’s war in Gaza, a symbolic blow that only deepened Israel’s isolation over the Gaza war.

Israel is not a member of the court. Even if warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant are not at immediate risk of prosecution. However, the threat of arrest could complicate their ability to travel.

Starmer’s decision has sparked disagreements between the UK and the US, although his office said on Friday the decision was based on a strong belief in the separation of powers and the rule of law, both domestically and internationally.

A challenging issue for Starmer and his party

Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, is under pressure from his party to take a stronger stance on the Gaza crisis, especially as the number of dead and wounded continues to rise.

Large protests also took place in London against Israeli measures to eradicate Hamas militants, and record numbers of anti-Semitic incidents were reported.

Labour lost support and seats it had been expected to gain after Starmer initially refused to call for a ceasefire following Israeli retaliation for the October 7 attack by Hamas militants.

The party is still recovering from the aftermath of a scandal involving allegations of anti-Semitism against Starmer’s predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn.