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 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.

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.”

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.