Netanyahu faces arrest if he travels to Britain as Starmer vows to enforce International Criminal Court warrant
22 November 2024, 00:28 | Updated: 22 November 2024, 00:30
Keir Starmer has vowed to back the International Criminal Court after it issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Israel's former defence minister and a Hamas leader.
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A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said that the government respected the independence of the court.
In what marks a significant legal escalation, the warrants are “for crimes against humanity and war crimes” over Netanyahu’s assault on Gaza and the October 7 attacks on Israel, the court, based in The Hague, said.
The decision turns Mr Netanyahu and the others into internationally wanted suspects and is likely to further isolate them and complicate efforts to negotiate a ceasefire to end the 13-month Gaza conflict.
But its practical implications could be limited because Israel and the United States, its major ally, are not members of the court and several of the Hamas officials have subsequently been killed in the conflict.
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The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "This Government has been clear that Israel has a right to defend itself in accordance with international law.
"There is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democracy, and Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, which are terrorist organisations.
"We remain focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the devastating violence in Gaza which is essential to protect civilians, ensure the release of hostages, and to increase humanitarian aid into Gaza."
Asked if Mr Netanyahu would be arrested if he came to the UK, the spokesman said: "We are not going to get into hypotheticals."
The PM was criticised in the wake of the statement, with Conservative Dame Priti Patel saying: “The Labour government must condemn and challenge the ICC’s decision.”
Announcing the warrants on X, formerly Twitter, the court said: "ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I rejects the State of Israel’s challenges to jurisdiction and issues warrants of arrest for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant."
“Israel utterly rejects the false and absurd charges,” Netanyahu’s office said on Thursday, branding the ICC a “biased and discriminatory political body”
His office added: “No anti-Israel resolution will prevent the state of Israel from protecting its citizens.”
Israel had filed an official objection to the ICC regarding the legality of the prosecutor's request to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant in September.
A warrant was also issued for the arrest of Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al Masri.
Mr Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have condemned ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan's request for warrants as disgraceful and antisemitic.
US President Joe Biden also criticised the prosecutor and expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas. Hamas also condemned Mr Khan's request.
