Starmer backs ICC over arrest warrant for Netanyahu

Sir Keir Starmer has backed the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.
When asked about the issue, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said the Government respected the independence of the court.
He declined to say whether Mr Netanyahu would be arrested if he arrived in the UK.
The spokesman said: “We respect the independence of the ICC, which is the primary institutional institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes in relation to international law.
“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 terror groups.
“We remain focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the devastating violence in Gaza.”
Under the Conservatives, the British government had told the court it intended to challenge the plans for the arrest warrants.
However, weeks after coming to power, Sir Keir’s government reversed that position and said it would not object.
Downing Street also declined to say whether Mr Netanyahu would be welcome to visit Britain in the future.
Sir Keir’s spokesman said: “We never comment on future international visits but my position on the Prime Minister’s support for Israel in terms of its right to defend itself in accordance with international law is very clear.”
The spokesman repeatedly declined to “go into hypotheticals” about whether Mr Netanyahu would be arrested if he arrived in the UK.
He added: “It’s not up to the Prime Minister to determine other world leaders’ travel schedules. He engages and will continue to engage with the prime minister of Israel in support of Israel’s right to defend itself.”
Pressed on what he meant by his comments about the court, the spokesman said: “It means that we respect the independence of the ICC. We respect the fact that the ICC is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern.”
The spokesman went on to say the Government’s “focus” remained an end to the violence in the Middle East, which has been ongoing for more than a year after the Oct 7 terror attacks by Hamas.
On being asked about the US describing the ICC as a “kangaroo court”, the spokesman replied: “We respect the independence of the ICC.”
Thank you for following our live blog. 
Here is a round-up of today’s events. 
The White House has said it remains deeply concerned by the ICC’s decision to seek arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister.
Italy’s defence minister, Guido Crosetto, said his country would be obliged to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited. 
Crosetto, whose country holds the G7 rotating presidency this year, told RAI television’s Porta a Porta programme said that if Netanyahu or Gallant “were to come to Italy, we would have to arrest them”.
It was not a political choice but Italy was bound as a member of the ICC to act on the court’s warrants, Crosetto said.
Benjamin Netanyahu has said the warrant issued for his arrest by the ICC “won’t stop me from continuing to defend Israel”.
Caspar Veldkamp, The Netherlands Foreign Minister, has cancelled his trip to Israel, the Dutch news agency ANP has said, citing leaked plans of the trip as the reason.
The Italian government would have to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he came to the country, its defence minister Guido Crosetto has said.
The International Criminal Court’s most senior prosecutor has urged the body’s 124 members to act on arrest warrants issued against Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant.
The ICC has no power to enforce its warrants but technically, any country that has signed the Rome Statue would be obliged to arrest Netanyahu or Gallant.
Karim Khan in a statement, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, said in a statement:“I appeal to all States Parties to live up to their commitment to the Rome Statute by respecting and complying with these judicial orders.
He also called on countries that are not members of the ICC to work together towards “upholding international law”.
Khan said his investigation into the situation in Gaza was continuing and his team was looking into “additional lines of inquiry in areas under the Court’s jurisdiction, which include Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”
Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s foreign minister, hailed as “a very important step” the decision by the ICC to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister
He wrote on X: “This decision is an extremely important step in bringing to justice the Israeli authorities who committed genocide against Palestinians.”
Karim Ahmad Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, has urged members to comply with arrest warrants.
He said that countries that belong to the court must “live up” to their commitments and has also called on the co-operation of non members. 
 
 
Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, has said his government will abide by all the regulations and rulings of the International Criminal Courts.
He told a televised news conference. “It’s really important that everyone abide by international law. We stand up for international law, and we will abide by all the regulations and rulings of the international courts.”
 
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants on Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“The ICC’s decision represents hope and confidence in international law and its institutions,” it said in a statement published by official Palestinian news agency Wafa, and urged ICC members to enforce “a policy of severing contact and meetings with internationally wanted individuals, Netanyahu and (Yoav) Gallant”.
Sir Keir Starmer has backed the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.
When asked about the issue, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said the Government respected the independence of the court.
He declined to say whether Mr Netanyahu would be arrested if he arrived in the UK.
The spokesman said: “We respect the independence of the ICC, which is the primary institutional institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes in relation to international law.”
“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 terror groups.
“We remain focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the devastating violence in Gaza.”
Under the Conservatives, the British government had told the court it intended to challenge the plans for the arrest warrants.
However weeks after coming to power, Sir Starmer’s government reversed that position and said it would not object. 
The United States “fundamentally rejects” the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, a White House national security council spokesman said. 
“We remain deeply concerned by the Prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision,” the spokesman added. 
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Donald Trump, called for the Senate to sanction the ICC, saying the court was a “dangerous joke”.
“It is now time for the US Senate to act and sanction this irresponsible body.”
Suella Braverman has accused the ICC of “making a mockery of the law”, writes Dominic Penna.The Tory MP and former home secretary told The Telegraph: “The issuing of an arrest warrant from the ICC for Israeli Ministers is outrageous and brings the ICC into disrepute.“Israel is fighting for survival against Hamas terrorists who wish to wipe Jewish people off the face of the earth. To equate Hamas brutality with legitimate defensive measures of the democratically elected Israeli government is absurd and brings the ICC to shame.“That this Labour government effectively supports the ICC’s action puts the UK at odds with one of our closest allies in the Middle East.“The ICC has lost credibility with this politicised decision which has no objective evidential basis. They’ve made a mockery of the law and undermined the international rules based system.”
Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, said the ICC now has “no credibility”, writes Dominic Penna.Mr Jenrick said: “The UK should not enforce this farcical arrest warrant from a politicised court that is itself mired in scandal.
“This latest decision will only fuel the growing perception the ICC is a kangaroo court.
“Equating Israel’s war of self defence with Hamas is absurd.
“The ICC has no credibility when it turns a blind eye to the crimes of tyrants like Khomeini and Putin.”
Ireland’s prime minister has said the ICC’s issuing of arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and Hamas commander Mohammed Dief is an “extremely significant step”. 
“The court points to reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant each bear criminal responsibility for crimes perpetrated in the war in Gaza,” Simon Harris said. 
Mr Harris also pointed to the arrest warrant for Hamas commander Mohammed Dief, who Israel claims to have killed earlier this year. 
“The court points to reasonable grounds that Mr Deif … is responsible for crimes against humanity,” Mr Harris noted. 
The Irish leader said his government has long expressed “profound concern” that rules of international humanitarian law have not been upheld during the war in Gaza. 
Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said: “The decision by the ICC to issue arrest warrants for the democratically elected leader of Israel and Israel’s former defence minister is deeply concerning and provocative.
“This will do nothing to bring about the release of all hostages held and the bringing of much-needed aid into Gaza.
“In issuing these warrants, the ICC are drawing a moral equivalence with the actions of the terrorist leadership of Hamas, which it is wrong to do.
“The Conservative Government did not believe the ICC has jurisdiction in this area, as Israel is not a signatory to the Rome statute, and because Palestine is not recognised as a state.
“The Labour Government must condemn and challenge the ICC’s decision.”
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has released a statement comparing the ICC’s ruling to the Dreyfus affair of 1894, when the French government wrongly convicted a Jewish army officer of treason. 
“The anti-Semitic decision of the International Criminal Court is comparable to the modern-day Dreyfus trial — and it will end in the same way,” Netanyahu said, referencing the fact the French state eventually exonerated Albert Dreyfus. 
Mr Netanyahu added that the decision to issue an arrest warrant was “made by a corrupt chief prosecutor attempting to save himself from serious allegations of sexual harassment”. 
The ICC announced earlier this month that Karim Khan, its chief prosecutor, would face an external investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. 
Mr Khan has denied all the allegations and vowed to cooperate with the investigation. 
As well as issuing arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister, the ICC also sought the arrest of Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. 
Israel has claimed that it killed Deif earlier this year. 
A shadowy figure, he had been on Israel’s most wanted list for nearly three decades and survived at least seven assassination attempts that left him with impaired sight and movement.
Israel’s president has attacked the ICC’s arrest warrant decision, saying the court has turned universal justice into a “laughing stock”.
“It makes a mockery of the sacrifice of all those who fight for justice – from the Allied victory over the Nazis till today,” Isaac Herzog said.
He added: “It ignores the basic fact that Israel was barbarically attacked and has the duty and right to defend its people.
“It ignores the fact that Israel is a vibrant democracy, acting under international humanitarian law, and going to great lengths to provide for the humanitarian needs of the civilian population.”
The ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant is an “assault on justice, truth, and the universal right of self-defence”, the Israeli parliament speaker has said.
In a statement, Amir Ohana went on to say that the decision “marks a dark day in the history of international law”.
Continuing, Mr Ohana said the ICC had chosen to “politicise its mandate, turning itself into a tool of terrorists and those who seek to delegitimise Israel’s right to exist”.
He called on democracies across the world to “take heed of the dangerous precedent this decision sets, threatening all nations fighting the scourge of terrorism”.
“We reject this decision with the full moral force of our conviction and will continue to act decisively to defend our people and our sovereignty.”
Mr Ohana signed off the message by saying that the ICC “didn’t get the memo on Mohammed Deif”.
The ICC also issued an arrest for Deif, the leader of Hamas’ military wing, who Israel claims to have killed earlier this year.
Some human rights groups have applauded the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant.
“The ICC arrest warrants against senior Israeli leaders and a Hamas official break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law,” the associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, Balkees Jarrah, said in a statement.
ActionAid, an international charity that works with women living in poverty, said it “welcomed” the ICC’s move.
It added: “The Pre-Trial Chamber’s finding that Israeli officials Netanyahu and Gallant intentionally deprived civilians in Gaza of essential supplies such as food, water, medicine, and fuel is a grave indictment of their barbaric actions in Gaza.”
Benny Gantz, a political rival to Benjamin Netanyahu, has condemned the ICC’s decision to order the arrest of the Israeli prime minister and former defence secretary Yoav Gallant. 
Mr Gantz said the move showed “moral blindness” and was a “shameful stain of historic proportion that will never be forgotten”.
Bob Blackman, the chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, shared a post saying the ICC “gave Hamas a strategic win” with its ruling.
Two Labour MPs who are currently serving six-month suspensions from the party both called on Sir Keir Starmer to back the ICC’s ruling.
Jeremy Corbyn, who now sits as an independent MP after losing the Labour whip, said: “The ICC’s arrest warrants are long overdue.
“The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary must immediately endorse this decision. That is the bare minimum. Will the UK Government now, finally, honour its international obligations to prevent genocide and end all arms sales to Israel?”
Zarah Sultana, the MP for Coventry South, said: “The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“The UK government must comply with the ICC, end all arms sales, impose economic sanctions & suspend its trade deal with Israel. Nothing less will do.”
Apsana Begum, the MP for Poplar and Limehouse, added: “The ICC have now issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netayanhu and Yaov Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
“The UK Government needs to get behind the ICC now, uphold international law and end its own complicity.”
Nigel Farage has criticised the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, saying the court “loses more credibility with each day that passes”.
The Reform UK leader said in March that there was a “growing prejudice” against Israel and Israelis beginning to “run through” Britain’s public services. 
Arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant are a “reward for terrorism”, Israel’s opposition leader has said. 
Yair Lapid, from the centrist Yesh Atid party, said he condemned the ICC’s decision and that Israel had been defending itself against terrorist “organisations that attacked, murdered and raped our citizens”. 
We’re bringing you the latest updates after arrest warrants were issued for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Yoav Gallant, his former defence minister, by the International Criminal Court.
Copy link
twitter
facebook
whatsapp
email