The Home Secretary has refused to say whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be arrested if he landed on British soil after an international arrest warrant was issued for him.

Last Thursday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the war in Gaza.

But Yvette Cooper said the ICC, of ​​which Britain is a member, is independent and while the government respects it, “it would not be appropriate for me to comment” on the processes involved.

She told Sky News: “We have always respected the importance of international law, but in most cases that they pursue, they do not become part of the British legal process.

“What I can say is that the British government’s position obviously remains that we believe the focus should be on bringing about a ceasefire in Gaza.”

However, Emily Thornberry, the Labor chair of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee, told the BBC that as a signatory to the ICC “we should arrest him”.

After winning the July election, the government said it would not oppose ICC’s right to issue the warrants.

An ICC arrest warrant was also issued for Hamas leaders Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masrimastermind of the October 7 attacks in Israel, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Israel claims Al Masri was killed earlier this year but the ICC said that has not been confirmed, so it issued the arrest warrant.

Netanyahu’s office said the orders against him and Gallant were “anti-Semitic” and said Israel “rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions”.

Neither Israel nor the US are members of the ICC. Israel has rejected the court’s jurisdiction and denies that it has committed war crimes in Gaza.

US President Joe Biden described the decisions against Israeli leaders as “outrageous” and added: “Whatever the ICC suggests, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas.”

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were a “disgrace” to the ICC.

The Board of British Jews said the ICC’s decision sent a “terrible message”.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday that he would invite Netanyahu to visit Hungary and he would guarantee that the arrest warrant “will not be followed”.

But both France and Italy signaled they would arrest Netanyahu if he came to their countries.

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The ICC initially said it sought arrest warrants for the three men in May for the alleged crimes and announced Thursday that it had rejected claims from Israel and issued the arrest warrants.

In its update, the ICC said it found “reasonable grounds to believe” that Netanyahu and Gallant “bear criminal responsibility” for alleged crimes.

These, the court said, include “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhuman acts”.

It is the first time a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court.