UK MPs react to report alleging David Cameron ‘threatened’ ICC withdrawal

Cameron told ICC main authoritative Karim Khan that applying for apprehension warrants for Israeli officials would beryllium similar ‘dropping hydrogen bomb’, media study says.

Several United Kingdom lawmakers person criticised the erstwhile authorities implicit allegations successful a caller media study that erstwhile Foreign Secretary David Cameron “privately threatened” to defund and retreat from the International Criminal Court (ICC) implicit its plans to contented apprehension warrants for Israeli officials implicit alleged warfare crimes successful Gaza.

The report, published connected Monday by the UK-based outlet Middle East Eye (MEE), cited sources with cognition of a telephone telephone Cameron allegedly made to ICC main authoritative Karim Khan connected April 23, 2024, aft helium had fixed beforehand announcement of his volition to use for the warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and past Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

MEE’s study cited unnamed sources, including erstwhile unit successful Khan’s office, and had seen minutes of the conversation, claiming that Cameron warned the apprehension warrants, which were issued successful November that year, would beryllium – successful quotes reported by the sources – tantamount to “dropping a hydrogen bomb”, informing that if the ICC went ahead, the UK would “defund the tribunal and retreat from the Rome Statute”.

Khan reportedly stood his ground, with sources telling MEE that helium said afterwards that helium did not similar “being pressurised”. “I won’t accidental if it rises to blackmail – I don’t similar being threatened,” helium reportedly said, adding that the authorities was “debasing” the UK with its wide onslaught connected the independency of the tribunal and the regularisation of planetary law.

Neither Khan nor Cameron, who was premier curate betwixt 2010 and 2016, and present sits successful the House of Lords arsenic a beingness peer, has commented connected the report.

Following the report’s publication, Labour Party MP Zarah Sultana said connected X that Cameron “and each UK curate complicit successful arming and enabling Israel’s genocide successful Gaza” should beryllium investigated.

David Cameron — and each UK curate complicit successful arming and enabling Israel’s genocide successful Gaza — indispensable beryllium investigated for warfare crimes. https://t.co/YYcsmFg1BN

— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) June 9, 2025

Scottish National Party MP Chris Law said the allegations were “shocking”, but added the state was “not seeing overmuch amended nether Labour”.

Shocking that the UK Tory govt tried to undermine the International Criminal Court for investigating those liable for warfare crimes successful Gaza. However not seeing overmuch amended nether Labour #GazaGenocide‌ https://t.co/Wd3nK9UkhV

— Chris Law MP (@ChrisLawSNP) June 9, 2025

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, a Labour MP, called for an “independent enquiry into the UK’s relation successful the Gaza genocide”.

Concerning caller allegations, which suggest the past overseas caput tried to shield Israeli leaders from facing justness for warfare crimes.

We request an autarkic enquiry into the UK’s relation successful the Gaza genocide.https://t.co/JROBHyqtDo

— Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP (@BellRibeiroAddy) June 9, 2025

Zack Polanski, the lawman person of the Green Party, was cited by MEE arsenic saying: “It’s been wide for each to spot that some the erstwhile and existent authorities person stood with the oppressors, not the marginalised.”

When the ICC applied for the apprehension warrants successful May past year, the erstwhile Conservative Party government, a beardown backer of Israel, decried the determination arsenic “not adjuvant successful narration to reaching a intermission successful the fighting, getting hostages retired oregon getting humanitarian assistance in”.

In July, the caller Labour government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, dropped the erstwhile Rishi Sunak-led government’s bid to situation the ICC’s powerfulness to question the warrants, which were issued for Netanyahu, Gallant and 3 Hamas leaders successful November.