The UK Labour government has allegedly reversed its previous decision to withdraw objections to the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor's application for arrest warrants targeting “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, Middle East Monitor reported.

 

This reversal follows significant pressure from the United States, which has been lobbying against dropping the legal challenge, according to the “Israeli” newspaper Maariv.

 

Netanyahu and Gallant are facing accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, brought forward by ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan. 

 

These allegations must receive approval from a panel of ICC judges, and it is at this juncture that the UK has renewed its objection, a stance initially adopted by the preceding Conservative government. 

 

The UK government contends that the 1993 Oslo Accords preclude Palestine from prosecuting “Israelis” for war crimes. 

 

However, this argument has faced substantial criticism from legal scholars who highlight that Palestine has been an ICC member since 2015, and the court affirmed its jurisdiction over the occupied territories in 2021.

 

The ICC's territorial jurisdiction over Palestine enables it to address crimes committed by Palestinian nationals outside of Palestine, as well as crimes committed on Palestinian territory by any party. This jurisdiction encompasses alleged crimes by “Israeli” authorities in Gaza and the West Bank.

 

Following its electoral victory, the Labour government had initially signalled an intention to drop the objection.

 

Nonetheless, recent developments indicate a change of course, attributed to vigorous lobbying by the US. Critics view this as the first significant ethical misstep by the new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.

 

The UK’s decision to uphold its objection carries significant implications. Should the ICC issue arrest warrants, all 124 member states would be obligated to act, potentially limiting the international movement of “Israeli” leaders.