ICJP warns UK government against 'disappointing' ICC Netanyahu arrest warrant U-turn

A pro-Palestinian rights group has warned the UK government against continuing to pursue a challenge to International Criminal Court (ICC) applications for arrest warrants for top Israeli leaders.

On Monday the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) said they were disappointed about reports that the UK would retain its objections to arrest warrants being issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Last May, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said he was seeking arrest warrants for the two Israeli leaders, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed al-Deif following an investigation into the Gaza war earlier this year.

"The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is disappointed in the UK government's rumoured decision to shy away from taking a lead on equal application of international law without fear or favour," the organisation said.

The ICJP noted that the reports came days after it had sent a letter to the UK foreign office recommending policy issues the new Labour government should focus on, including the upholding of international law.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is allegedly being lobbied by the US to uphold the previous Conservative government's challenge to the ICC arrest warrants.

The ICJP said that UK foreign policy should not be influenced by the US and that the ICC should be free from the influence of foreign states, including the UK.

The ICJP's Senior Public Affairs Officer Jonathan Purcell said that what he called the UK's government's "dawdling and indecisiveness" was undermining its position.

"It shows a total lack of urgency whilst Palestinians are being killed in the meantime," he added. "If Labour want to be taken seriously as a party of change, we need to see it to believe it. The Prime Minister calls himself a human rights lawyer, but a major U-turn such as this would show that actions speak louder than words."

The call from the ICJP comes after Israeli publication Maariv reported that UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy had assured Israel that the UK would maintain its objections to the sought after arrest warrants.

The Guardian previously reported that the new UK government would drop its objections, which would have delayed the ICC's decision on whether to issue the arrest warrants.

Israel's war on Gaza has killed 38,664 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and wounded a further 98,097. The Palestinian enclave has been completely devastated, while Israel's siege of the territory has caused famine-like conditions.