Overview

• Cameron privately warned ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in April 2024 that the UK would defund the court and withdraw from the Rome Statute if it issued arrest warrants against Israeli leaders.
• Khan reportedly rebuffed the pressure, telling sources he did not like being threatened and that the rules-based system’s integrity must be preserved.
• In November 2024 the ICC issued warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
• UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese said obstructing the court could amount to a criminal offence under Article 70 of the Rome Statute and highlighted potential UK law repercussions.
• Several UK MPs, including Zarah Sultana, Naz Shah and Emily Thornberry, have called for parliamentary and legal investigations into possible obstruction of justice by Cameron.