The United Kingdom has announced that it has decided not to oppose the International Criminal Court's (ICC) jurisdiction to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

This marks a departure from the plans of the former Conservative government under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who had intended to challenge the warrants.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's spokesperson stated on Friday, "On the ICC submission... I can confirm the government will not be pursuing [the proposal] in line with our longstanding position that this is a matter for the court to decide on."

In May, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, citing alleged war crimes committed during Israel’s war on Gaza. He also sought warrants for three leaders of the Palestinian group Hamas over alleged war crimes during the October 7 attacks on southern Israel.

Court documents released in June revealed that the UK, an ICC member state, had filed a request to submit written observations on whether "the court can exercise jurisdiction over Israeli nationals, in circumstances where Palestine cannot exercise criminal jurisdiction over Israeli nationals [under] the Oslo Accords."

The Sunak government had secured court approval to present its arguments before the July 4 general elections, which the Conservatives subsequently lost. Initially, the ICC gave the UK until July 12 to file a legal opinion, which was later extended to July 26.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack on Oct. 7 last year by the Palestinian group Hamas, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 39,200 Palestinians have since been killed in the enclave, the vast majority being women and children, and over 90,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Over nine months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.