AN arrest warrant has been sought for Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar during his secret visit to the UK.
We previously reported how Sa’ar, a senior member of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, met with Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Tuesday.
The meeting was not publicised and was only confirmed to The National following reports from the Middle East Eye.
Sources told The National that Sa’ar is expected to be in the UK until Saturday, but that he may leave earlier after news broke of his visit.
On Wednesday, a request for an arrest warrant for Sa’ar was submitted to Westminster Magistrate Court by the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and the Hind Rajab Foundation.
The hospital was stormed, evacuated and burned by Israeli forces, while Dr Safiyeh was held at the notorious Israeli detention camp Sde Teiman.
It is alleged that Sa’ar aided and abetted torture and grave breaches of international humanitarian law in Palestine including torture, wilful killing and extensive destruction of property.
At the time the hospital was attacked by Israel, the country's ministry of foreign affairs – under Sa’ar’s leadership – posted content on social media in support of the siege. Sa’ar has also previously justified Israel’s decision to block aid from entering Gaza.
Sa’ar is already the subject of a complaint by the Hind Rajab Foundation to the International Criminal Court alleging his involvement in decisions that led to mass civilian displacement and siege conditions in Gaza and his support for policies that targeted civilian infrastructure.
It is unclear how long the process for an arrest warrant will take as it requires the consent of the Attorney General and the director of public prosecutions.
He said: “Mr Gideon Sa’ar is directly linked to mass death, destruction and suffering in Palestine; we have submitted extensive evidence detailing his role in and awareness of this.
“UK officials are failing to abide by the law by offering handshakes instead of handcuffs – this is why we have asked the courts to urgently step in.”
Dyab Abou Jahjah, founder and chair of the Hind Rajab Foundation, said: “Gideon Sa’ar cannot walk freely in London while Palestinian civilians lie buried under rubble.
“His role in the starvation, displacement, and killing of innocent people in Gaza demands accountability, no official title can excuse these atrocities.”
Dr Azra Zyada, a medical doctor who help gather evidence for the warrant from Gaza, said: “This is an opportunity to show that the rule of law matters. It’s an opportunity to put a stake in the sand; as citizens and as people of conscience, and show that this country believes in the moral values it has signed up for.
“Britain has demonstrated its strength before on those who have crossed those lines, and today is a demonstration of the strength and moral courage of the British people.
“We cannot turn a blind eye towards injustice, and if we tolerate this, then our children will be next.”
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant are both wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Foreign Office and the Israeli Embassy have been contacted for comment.
