The recent issuance of arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant has prompted significant responses from the UK and Ireland, indicating their willingness to comply with international law.

The UK government has stated it will comply with its legal obligations under both domestic and international law regarding the ICC's arrest warrants. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that the UK will "always comply" with its legal duties, although they refrained from commenting on specific cases or hypotheticals concerning Netanyahu's potential arrest upon arrival in the UK.

The UK's ICC Act of 2001 mandates that when an arrest warrant is issued by the ICC, it must be processed through British courts. This means that if Netanyahu were to enter the UK, a judicial review would take place to determine whether to endorse the warrant for execution.

In contrast to the UK's more cautious approach, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris confirmed that Ireland would arrest Netanyahu if he set foot in the country. This reflects Ireland's strong support for international courts and their rulings, particularly in light of deteriorating relations with Israel following Ireland's recognition of Palestinian statehood.

The ICC's warrants stem from allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to actions taken during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The court accuses Netanyahu and Gallant of using starvation as a method of warfare and intentionally targeting civilians.

Other countries, including Canada, have also indicated they would comply with the ICC’s warrants. However, nations like Hungary have invited Netanyahu to visit, rejecting the ICC's authority. The U.S., while a critic of the ICC's actions, has expressed strong support for Israel amid these developments.