Benjamin Netanyahu unlikely to be arrested in Britain after ICC ruling, says Home Secretary Yvette Cooper

Benjamin Netanyahu is improbable to beryllium arrested successful Britain, says Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

She stressed that the “overwhelming” bulk of rulings by the International Criminal Court bash crook into issues for the British instrumentality enforcement system.

Netanyahu has condemned the apprehension warrant issued against him by the world’s apical war-crimes tribunal and US president Joe Biden condemned it arsenic “outrageous”.

The UK is simply a signatory of the ICC, dissimilar America, and Ms Cooper stressed the Government respected its independency and rulings.

Asked connected Sky News whether Netanyahu would beryllium arrested if helium came to the UK, she said: “That’s not a substance for maine arsenic Home Secretary.

“The International Criminal Court is of people autarkic and we respect its independency and the relation that it has to play.

“But successful the overwhelming bulk of planetary transgression tribunal investigations they ne'er go a substance for either the British ineligible regularisation and instrumentality enforcement processes oregon for the British government.

“In immoderate case, wherever they ever bash determination are due processes that request to beryllium followed and truthful it would not beryllium due for maine to remark connected those.”

The warrants allege determination is crushed to judge Mr Netanyahu and erstwhile Defence Minister Yoav Gallant person utilized "starvation arsenic a method of warfare" by restricting humanitarian assistance and person intentionally targeted civilians successful Israel's run against Hamas.

Mr Netanayahu condemned the warrants arsenic "antisemitic", saying the ICC was "falsely" accusing them "of deliberately targeting civilians, this erstwhile we bash everything successful our powerfulness to debar civilian casualties".

He said: “The tribunal successful The Hague accuses america of a deliberate argumentation of starvation. This erstwhile we person supplied Gaza with 700,000 tons of nutrient to provender the radical of Gaza.”

US president Joe Biden called it “outrageous", saying: “Whatever the ICC mightiness imply, determination is nary equivalence - nary - betwixt Israel and Hamas.

“We volition ever basal with Israel against threats to its security."

The Prime Minister's authoritative spokesperson said the court, based successful The Hague, was "the superior planetary instauration for investigating and prosecuting the astir superior crimes of planetary concern".

A home tribunal process would beryllium required earlier Mr Netanyahu faced apprehension if helium acceptable ft successful the UK.

The Prime Minister's spokesperson said: "This Government has been wide that Israel has a close to support itself successful accordance with planetary law.

"There is nary motivation equivalence betwixt Israel, a democracy, and Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, which are violent organisations.

"We stay focused connected pushing for an contiguous ceasefire to bring an extremity to the devastating unit successful Gaza which is indispensable to support civilians, guarantee the merchandise of hostages, and to summation humanitarian assistance into Gaza."

The ICC besides issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, caput of Hamas' equipped wing, implicit the October 7, 2023 attacks that triggered Israel's violative successful Gaza.

Israel is believed to person killed Deif successful an airstrike, but Hamas has ne'er confirmed his death.

The interaction of the warrants is apt to beryllium constricted since Israel and its large ally, the United States, are not members of the ICC.

The enactment by the International Criminal Court came arsenic the decease toll from Israel's run successful Gaza passed 44,000 people, according to section wellness authorities, who accidental much than fractional of those killed were women and children.

Their number does not differentiate betwixt civilians and combatants.