The Biden administration is prepared to collaborate with Congress in response to the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor's request for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders, over the 2021 Gaza war.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his opposition to the move during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, labeling it "profoundly wrong-headed." He warned that such action could hinder the prospects of reaching a hostage deal and a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced on Monday that he had sufficient evidence to believe that these individuals bear criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Republican lawmakers have called for US sanctions against ICC officials in response.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced an investigation into war crimes in the Palestinian territories, including Gaza, which has been met with criticism from both the Biden administration and political opponents.
The US is not a member of the ICC but has supported past prosecutions, such as the arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.
The administration has not yet specified a response to the ICC move, but Republican Senator Lindsey Graham expressed his opposition and hoped to work with the administration on expressing the US's stance.
Critics argue the court does not have jurisdiction over the Gaza conflict and have raised concerns over the process.
Senator Lindsey Graham has called for sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to the court's investigation into war crimes committed in
Afghanistan.
Previously, the US, under the Trump administration, imposed sanctions on ICC staff, including then-prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.
However, for new sanctions to be imposed, President
Joe Biden and his Democratic allies in Congress must support the measure.