Al Jazeera London’s correspondent reported today Monday 14 December that a warrant has been issued by a British judge for the arrest of former Israeli foreign minister Tsipi Livni for alleged war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip last winter. Ms Livni was scheduled to speak in London at a conference organized by the Jewish National Fund (JNF) on 13 December. According to the correspondent the Jewish Chronicle reported this morning that Livni cancelled her visit over fear of arrest.

The issue of a warrant for the arrest of a former Israeli political figure implicated in war crime is the first of its kind issued by a European court after the war on Gaza and resultant Goldstone report, which confirmed that war crimes were committed by the Israelis in the Occupied Territory.

Earlier in the year, lawyers acting on behalf of the victims in Gaza failed to secure a warrant for the arrest of defence minister Ehud Barak during a recent visit to the UK. Meanwhile, vice prime minister Moshe Ya'alon was also forced to cancel a planned trip to Britain for fear of being arrested.