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 mr 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.”

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

The ICC also issued an arrest warrant 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.

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

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”, adding “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 court initially said it sought arrest warrants for the three men in May for the alleged crimes and announced Thursday that it had rejected objections 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”.

Netanyahu has previously spoken about his “disgusted” by the suggestion that the ICC should seek an arrest warrant for him.

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

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