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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces apprehension if helium travels to the UK, aft an planetary apprehension warrant was issued for him, Downing Street has indicated.
A No 10 spokesperson refused to remark connected the circumstantial lawsuit but said the authorities would fulfil its "legal obligations".
On Thursday the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an apprehension warrant for Netanyahu, on with Israel's erstwhile defence curate Yoav Gallant, implicit alleged warfare crimes successful Gaza.
The court's subordinate countries, including the UK, person signed a pact that obliges them to enactment connected apprehension warrants.
Asked whether Netanyahu would beryllium detained if helium entered the UK, the premier minister's authoritative spokesperson refused to remark connected "hypotheticals".
However, helium added: "The authorities would fulfil its obligations nether the enactment and so its ineligible obligations."
This refers to the International Criminal Court Act 2001, which states that if the tribunal issues a warrant for arrest, a designated curate "shall transmit the request… to an due judicial officer", who, if satisfied the warrant appears to person been issued by the ICC, "shall endorse the warrant for execution successful the United Kingdom".
The PM's spokesperson confirmed the authorities stands by the process outlined successful the enactment and would "always comply with its ineligible obligations arsenic acceptable retired by home instrumentality and so planetary law".
He was incapable to corroborate which caput of authorities would beryllium progressive successful the process and did not reply questions astir whether the authorities was seeking ineligible proposal from Attorney General Lord Hermer - the UK's apical lawyer - successful narration to the case.
Asked whether the PM was inactive consenting to speech to Netanyahu, the spokesperson said it was "obviously important that we person a dialog with Israel connected each levels", describing the state arsenic "a cardinal spouse crossed a scope of areas".
Last period Lord Hermer told the BBC helium would not let governmental considerations to power his conclusions if the ICC were to contented an apprehension warrant.
"My proposal [on an apprehension warrant for Mr Netanyahu] would beryllium ineligible advice, based connected investigation of the law," helium said.
"It's not for the lawyer to dictate what a authorities chooses to do. The relation of the lawyer is to supply fearless ineligible proposal arsenic to what the instrumentality requires, what the contents of the instrumentality is, and wherever the instrumentality takes you. And that's what I'm going to do."
Following the apprehension warrants being issued connected Thursday, Downing Street said the UK authorities respected the ICC's independency and remained focused connected pushing for an contiguous ceasefire successful Gaza.
The tribunal besides issued a warrant for Hamas subject commandant Mohammed Deif, who Israel says was killed successful July, implicit alleged warfare crimes successful narration to the 7 October 2023 attacks against Israel.
Shadow overseas caput Dame Priti Patel criticised the ICC for drafting a "moral equivalence" betwixt Israel's actions successful Gaza and 7 October attacks.
She called connected the authorities to "condemn and challenge" the court's decision, describing it arsenic "concerning and provocative".
After winning power, the caller Labour authorities scrapped its predecessor's program to situation the close of the ICC to contented apprehension warrants, saying it was a substance for the judges to decide.
The interaction of the warrants volition beryllium connected whether the court's 124 subordinate states - which bash not see Israel oregon its ally, the US - determine to enforce them oregon not.
US President Joe Biden has called the apprehension warrant for the Israeli premier curate "outrageous", saying determination is "no equivalence" betwixt Israel and Hamas.
However, officials from a fig of European countries person made statements lasting by the tribunal and said they would instrumentality its decision.
Both Israel and Hamas cull the allegations made by the ICC, with Netanyahu branding the warrant "antisemitic".
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