Moshe Yaalon, an Israeli vice-prime minister, on Monday cancelled a trip to Britain on concerns that he might be arrested for alleged war crimes.

Mr Yaalon, who also serves as strategic affairs minister, was told by the legal department of Israel’s foreign ministry and by the prime minister’s legal adviser not to travel because he could face prosecution for his role in an incident dating back to 2002, Alon Ofek-Arnon, his spokesman, said.