Several “wanted” posters depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have appeared across the UK’s Birmingham, referencing the recent International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him.
Although it is unknown who organized the posters, many took to social media to share photos from different parts of the city, showing Netanyahu’s image alongside an ICC logo.
When asked about a possible arrest of Netanyahu on his arrival to the UK, the British government said it fully respects international law and sees the ICC as the main judicial body in the international arena.
“The government will comply with our international obligations,” Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Hamish Falconer told the parliament on Monday.
There is a domestic and legal process through our independent courts that determines whether to endorse an arrest warrant by the ICC.”
He also said: “This process has never been tested because the UK has never been visited by an ICC indictee.”
Falconer said that the parliament has a common position about the international rule of law being an “important commitment.”
“The International Criminal Court is an important, primary body, in enforcing these norms and the issues on jurisdiction and complementarity were heard by the pre Trial Chamber. Three judges have issued their findings, and I think we should respect those.”
All the actions of the current government will be “guided” by international law, he added.
The ICC last week announced the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant “for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024” in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last year, killing over 44,250 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,700.
The onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the enclave, and a deliberate blockade has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, pushing the population to the brink of starvation.