Israeli foreign minister planned to cut London trip short before UK blocked arrest attempt
The Israeli foreign minister planned to cut short his secret trip to London this week after it was exposed, but changed his mind when the British government blocked an attempt to secure an arrest warrant for him, sources told Middle East Eye.
A UK-based legal group that sought the warrant for Gideon Saar has meanwhile disputed the government's assertion that the foreign minister had "immunity".
The attorney general's office confirmed to MEE on Thursday that it had blocked an arrest warrant request by legal groups.
Saar's office said British Foreign Secretary David Lammy had informed his Israeli counterpart of the decision.
Middle East Eye revealed on Tuesday that Saar was making a secret trip to the UK this week, later that day reporting that he had met Lammy in London.
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On Wednesday, the Global Legal Action Network (Glan), the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) and the Hind Rajab Foundation formally submitted the warrant request to the UK's attorney general and director of public prosecutions.
The groups alleged that Saar has aided and abetted torture and grave breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza.
'Active intervention by the UK authorities'
A spokesperson for the attorney general's office said: "The law officers have declined to provide consent to the prosecution of Gideon Saar."
They added: "International law requires that immunity is accorded to serving ministers for foreign affairs in domestic criminal proceedings irrespective of the subject matter, or gravity, of any complaint."
The attorney general oversees the Government Legal Department, the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service, among other responsibilities.
MEE understands that the decision was made on Thursday morning, after which Saar began posting online about his presence in London for the first time.
Three sources familiar with events told MEE that Saar decided to leave Britain early after his visit was made public, though changed his mind after Lammy conveyed the attorney general's decision to him.
Glan director Gearóid Ó Cuinn told MEE his organisation has seen evidence that "Mr Saar made plans to prematurely leave the UK before he was made aware of the attorney general’s decision".
"This was an active intervention by UK authorities to protect an unindicted war criminal in the midst of the ongoing extermination in Gaza," he said.
"We reject the attorney general’s position that Mr Saar has immunity, having submitted to him with our request for consent that, under UK law, immunity applies to heads of state and not foreign ministers," he added.
"Further, the International Court of Justice is clear that immunity is distinct from impunity. Immunity only protects Saar for as long as he remains in high office."
Allegations against Saar
The legal groups also filed a complaint with the London Metropolitan Police.
Ó Cuinn said: "On foot of evidence we submitted to the War Crimes Unit of the London Metropolitan Police they should open an investigation into Saar's liability regardless of the refusal by the attorney general."
The Met has received more than 180 referrals accusing participants in Israel's war on Gaza of war crimes, but said earlier this month that "there is no UK-based investigation into any matters relating to this particular conflict".
It is unclear whether Saar has left the UK yet, given the clandestine nature of his trip. There has been no Foreign Office press release on his meeting with Lammy.
The submission for an arrest warrant argued that Saar was criminally responsible for the Israeli military's attack on the Kamal Adwan hospital late last year.
He was also accused of being implicated in the detention and torture of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the hospital's director, who was taken captive during the raid.
The Israeli foreign ministry posted content in support of the hospital's siege.
Saar recently attempted to justify Israel's decision to cut off aid to Gaza, saying, without evidence, that humanitarian assistance fuels Hamas.
"Aid that goes to Hamas is not humanitarian," Saar said on 4 March, portraying the blockade as legitimate despite such sieges being considered an act of collective punishment under international law.
Tayab Ali, director of the ICJP, one of the legal groups who sought the arrest warrant, said: "The rule of law applies to all, regardless of office or nationality.
"If political leaders refuse to subject themselves to the legal process, it is their own soldiers who will be left exposed facing justice alone, without immunity or protection.
"There will be no safe haven for suspected war criminals."
Britain has often given foreign officials special mission immunity, which provides them with protection from potential criminal proceedings and arrest.
In December, the UK confirmed it had given special mission immunity to two Israeli officials in 2024: Benny Gantz, then a member of the war cabinet who visited the previous Conservative government that March, and Israel's military chief of staff at the time, Herzi Halevi, who met the attorney general in November.
MEE has asked the Foreign Office whether Saar was given this immunity.
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