The Israeli Government on Tuesday ordered the British government to end the "absurd situation" in which arrest warrants were being issued for Israeli war criminals over alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip, warning that ties between the two countries could suffer as a result.

"Only actions can put an end to this absurd situation, which would have seemed a comedy of errors were it not so serious," said the Foreign Ministry, a day after it emerged that opposition leader Tzipi Livni had cancelled her trip to Britain after a warrant was issued for her arrest.

The Israeli government warned that in indulging the arrest warrant, the British government was hampering its own efforts at playing a role in Middle East peace negotiations.

If Britain does not immediately amend the law allowing arrest warrants to be issued against Israeli war criminals, the relations between our states will suffer," the Israeli government said.