Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar is set to visit the UK this week, five sources told Middle East Eye, The sources said Saar’s trip will be unannounced before his arrival in the United Kingdom. MEE earlier reported that Saar was expected to visit Britain in March, but the trip did not go ahead after Israel renewed its assault on Gaza…
The visit this week by such a high-ranking Israeli minister will be seen as controversial given warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, Saar himself recently attempted to justify Israel’s decision to cut off aid to Gaza, claiming without evidence that humanitarian assistance fuels Hamas.
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 charges listed in the request focus on the siege of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza between October and December last year, which culminated in the abduction and torture of the hospital’s director, Dr Hussam Abu Safiyeh.
