UK drops Plans To Challenge ICC arrest Warrant Request For Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu And Defence Minister Yoav Gallant

In May, the ICC’s prosecutor sought warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and three Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes.

In June, court papers showed Britain, an ICC member, intended to question the court’s power over Israeli nationals, given Palestine’s inability to exercise criminal control over Israelis under the Oslo Accords. 

However, after the July 4 election brought the Labour Party to power, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson confirmed the new government would not pursue this plan. "On the ICC submission… the government will not be pursuing (the proposal) in line with our long-standing position that this is a matter for the court to decide on,” the spokesperson said.

The ICC, the world’s first permanent international war crimes court, requires its 124 member states to arrest individuals wanted by the court if found on their territory. The ICC steps in only when states are unwilling or unable to prosecute. Israel claims to be investigating alleged war crimes in Gaza domestically.

Israel and its main ally, the United States, are not ICC members, along with China and Russia. In the past, member states have sometimes failed to arrest suspects, such as Sudanese former President Omar Bashir, wanted for war crimes and genocide since 2005. If warrants are issued against Israeli leaders, nearly all European Union countries, as ICC members, could face diplomatic challenges.