UK groups seek arrest warrant for Israeli foreign minister over Gaza war crimes

Human rights groups have filed an urgent request for an arrest warrant for Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar during his current visit to the UK, citing his direct role in war crimes committed in Gaza, Anadolu news agency reported.

The Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and the Hind Rajab Foundation on Wednesday submitted the request to the UK attorney general and director of public prosecutions, seeking immediate approval to apply for a warrant at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Saar, a senior member of Israel’s Security Cabinet, is seen as responsible for aiding and abetting torture, willful killing, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.

The case focuses on the siege of Kamal Adwan Hospital at the end of last year, when Israeli forces abducted and tortured Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the hospital’s director.

Saar arrived in the UK on Monday and met with Foreign Secretary David Lammy the following day. A complaint has also been filed with the London Metropolitan Police.

The submission lists several crimes under UK jurisdiction, including the attack on Kamal Adwan Hospital on 8 October -27 December, 2024, the torture of Abu Safiya, the destruction during the creation of a Gaza “buffer zone,” and the targeting of civilian survival infrastructure.

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Evidence shows Israeli forces besieged, attacked, and burned the hospital, using drone strikes that killed and injured patients and medics.

Abu Safiya was imprisoned in inhumane conditions at the Sde Teiman Detention Camp and tortured.

GLAN Director Gearoid O Cuinn said: “Mr. Gideon Saar is directly linked to mass death, destruction, and suffering in Palestine … UK officials are failing to abide by the law by offering handshakes instead of handcuffs.”

Dyab Abou Jahjah, chair of the Hind Rajab Foundation, added: “Gideon Saar cannot walk freely in London while Palestinian civilians lie buried under rubble … No official title can excuse these atrocities.”

The legal action is supported by British-Palestinian surgeon Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta and health care expert Dr. Azra Zyada, who helped gather evidence from Gaza.

Zyada said: “This is an opportunity to show that the rule of law matters … We cannot turn a blind eye towards injustice, and if we tolerate this, then our children will be next.”

Saar is also the subject of an International Criminal Court complaint for his role in Gaza’s mass displacement and attacks on infrastructure.

READ: Pro-Palestinian NGO files complaint with ICC against Israeli foreign minister