US President Joe Biden condemned the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor's request for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, calling it "outrageous." The ICC is investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict, and is also targeting top Hamas leaders.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that the move could harm ceasefire talks and stated that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas.
The US will continue to support Israel against threats to its security.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh over war crimes committed during the May 2021 Israel-Gaza conflict.
However, neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the ICC.
The Biden administration and Blinken have expressed their rejection of the ICC's jurisdiction in this matter and have criticized the equivalence of Israel and Hamas.
The US recently withheld a shipment of bombs to Israel to prevent an offensive in Rafah.
The administration believes that the ICC's decision could jeopardize ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement and provide humanitarian assistance.
US lawmakers are considering a legislative response to punish the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to bipartisan anger over its decision to investigate Israel for war crimes.
Republican House Speaker Mike
Johnson criticized the court's decision as "baseless and illegitimate," accusing President Biden of putting pressure on Israel and claiming the country is fighting a just war for survival.
Pro-Gaza protests on US campuses and Republican accusations of Biden's insufficient support for Israel add to the political pressure on the president.
The White House has not commented on potential retaliatory actions against the ICC, including sanctions, if it targets Israel.
The Biden administration previously lifted sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on the ICC for its investigation into
Afghanistan.
The text discusses the United States' ambiguous stance towards the International Criminal Court (ICC) following its decision to investigate and prosecute Israeli officials for war crimes in Palestine.
Despite denouncing this move, the US has announced that it will continue to support the ICC's investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine against Russian President Vladimir Putin and others involved in the invasion.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed this position, stating that the US will continue to provide assistance to the ICC regarding crimes committed in Ukraine.