Benjamin Netanyahu faces arrest if he enters Britain. That is the welcome the Israeli leader will receive should he fancy another trip to the UK anytime soon. It comes after the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister, along with former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Mohammed Deif of Hamas, who is thought to be already dead. Justifying the decision to issue warrants for the two Israeli politicians, the court said they shared criminal responsibility for ‘the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.’
Downing Street has confirmed that it will respect the ICC’s decision once the UK domestic process had taken place
In response, the Israeli government has – unsurprisingly – heavily criticised the judgment. The United States (which is not an ICC member) has also ‘fundamentally’ rejected the court’s decision – stating that the ICC has no ‘jurisdiction over this matter’.