Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces arrest if he travels to the UK, after an international arrest warrant was issued for him, Downing Street has indicated.

A No 10 spokesman refused to comment on the specific case but said the government would fulfil its “legal obligations”.

On Thursday the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, along with Israel’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

The court’s member countries, including the UK, have signed a treaty that obliges them to act on arrest warrants.

Asked whether Netanyahu would be detained if he entered the UK, the prime minister’s official spokesman refused to comment on “hypotheticals”.

However, he added: “The government would fulfil its obligations under the act and indeed its legal obligations.”

This refers to the International Criminal Court Act 2001, which states that if the court issues a warrant for arrest, a designated minister “shall transmit the request… to an appropriate judicial officer”, who, if satisfied the warrant appears to have been issued by the ICC, “shall endorse the warrant for execution in the United Kingdom”.

The PM’s spokesman confirmed the government stands by the process outlined in the act and would “always comply with its legal obligations as set out by domestic law and indeed international law”.

He was unable to confirm which secretary of state would be involved in the process and did not answer questions about whether the government was seeking legal advice from Attorney General Lord Hermer – the UK’s top lawyer – in relation to the case.

Generally, arrest warrants and extradition requests from around the world must be sent to a special team in the Home Office for basic checks before they are acted on.

The UK’s legislation on the ICC says that the courts have the final say on whether an arrest and “delivery” of a suspect should go ahead.

Asked whether the PM was still willing to talk to Netanyahu, the PM’s spokesman said it was “obviously important that we have a dialogue with Israel on all levels”, describing the country as “a key partner across a range of areas”.

Last month Lord Hermer told the BBC he would not allow political considerations to influence his conclusions if the ICC were to issue an arrest warrant.

“My advice [on an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu] would be legal advice, based on analysis of the law,” he said.

“It’s not for the attorney to dictate what a government chooses to do. The role of the attorney is to provide fearless legal advice as to what the law requires, what the contents of the law is, and where the law takes you. And that’s what I’m going to do.”

Following the arrest warrants being issued on Thursday, Downing Street said the UK government respected the ICC’s independence and remained focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The court also issued a warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, who Israel says was killed in July, over alleged war crimes in relation to the 7 October 2023 attacks against Israel.

Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel criticised the ICC for drawing a “moral equivalence” between Israel’s actions in Gaza and the 7 October attacks.

She called on the government to “condemn and challenge” the court’s decision, describing it as “concerning and provocative”.

After winning power, the new Labour government scrapped its predecessor’s plan to challenge the right of the ICC to issue arrest warrants, saying it was a matter for the judges to decide.

The impact of the warrants will depend on whether the court’s 124 member states – which do not include Israel or its ally, the US – decide to enforce them or not.

US President Joe Biden has called the arrest warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister “outrageous “,  saying there is “no equivalence” between Israel and Hamas.

However, officials from a number of European countries have made statements standing by the court and said they would implement its decision.

Both Israel and Hamas reject the allegations made by the ICC, with Netanyahu branding the warrant “antisemitic”.

Netanyahu condemned the ICC’s decision as “antisemitic”. Hamas made no mention of the warrant for Deif but welcomed the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.

French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot has told the BBC that the ICC’s decision “is the formalisation of an accusation, it is by no means a judgement”.

He told the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show: “We also say that we’ve condemned, in [the] strongest possible terms, the fact that humanitarian help has not been able to reach civil populations in Gaza while the situation is catastrophic.

“But in no way do we draw any form of equivalence between the Hamas leaders that have been targeted by arrest warrants by the ICC and the government of Israel.”

(BBC)

The discussions related to the third review of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program was successfully concluded on Friday (22).

The meeting, held at the Presidential Secretariat, was attended by a delegation representing the IMF, led by Senior Mission Chief Peter Breuer. The delegation representing the Sri Lankan government,  was headed by Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Professor Anil Jayantha Fernando.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that if the current government fails to meet the expectations set by the people in the recent mandate, it could lead to citizens losing hope in envisioning a prosperous future. He emphasized that government officials must dedicate themselves to building a government that fulfils the aspirations of the people.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made these remarks while addressing the staff of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development today (22), after officially assuming duties as its Minister.

Upon his arrival at the Ministry, the President was warmly welcomed by the staff.

He expressed heartfelt appreciation for the contributions made by the Ministry’s officials in navigating the country through the recent economic crisis. The President also emphasized the importance of continued collective effort, stating that everyone’s support would be essential in achieving future successes.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake further stated that while the country has a history of judging government officials based on preconceived notions during political transitions, moving forward, their contributions will be the sole benchmark for evaluation. He assured that if any unfair treatment or undue obstacles arise in the course of their duties, he would stand firmly in their defence.

The President also acknowledged the public’s lack of trust in revenue-generating departments and admitted that changing this perception would be challenging. However, he emphasized that under the new government, all officials now have the opportunity to rectify any negative impressions and rebuild public confidence in their roles.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that threatening officials or disregarding their opinions in the presence of the media is not a part of his government’s policy. He emphasized that the new approach to transformation involves fostering self-discipline and accountability. The President invited all government officials to unite in this effort to create a positive change.

The event was attended by Deputy Ministers Professor Anil Jayantha Fernando, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, and Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena, along with other senior officials from the Ministry of Finance.