‘There Would Be A Court Process’: UK Signals It Would Arrest Netanyahu If He Visits

The United Kingdom (U.K.) signaled on Monday that it would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he paid a visit to the country.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest on Thursday, arguing that he had violated international law and committed humanitarian crimes in his oversight of Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. The U.K. is one of the countries that has said that it will abide by the ICC’s ruling.

“We are signatories to the Rome Statute, we have always been committed to our obligations under international law and international humanitarian law,” U.K. Foreign Minister David Lammy told reporters during an international summit in Italy on Monday. “Of course, if there were to be such a visit to the UK, there would be a court process and due process would be followed in relation to those issues.”

Lammy’s comments are similar to those made by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office on Friday.

“The U.K. will always comply with its legal obligations as set out by domestic law and indeed international law,” a spokesperson for Starmer said.

The U.K. is not the only Western nation that has vowed to follow the ICC’s ruling should Netanyahu travel to their countries. Canada, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Austria and Hungary have all said with certainty that they would arrest Netanyahu if given the opportunity.