In May, the ICC prosecutor demanded an arrest warrant for Israel’s prime minister and defense minister. The House bill is considered a message and is not expected to advance to the Senate.
In the United States, the Republican-dominated House of Representatives has approved a bill that would impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The sanctions are motivated by the ICC prosecutor’s decision to request arrest warrants for members of the Israeli government because of the events of the Gaza war.
247 representatives voted for the motion, 155 representatives voted against. In addition to Republicans, 42 Democratic representatives also voted in favor of the proposal.
The bill is not expected to come up in the Senate, which has a narrow Democratic majority. Finally the president Joe Biden could block the bill with his veto.
However, the bill, which is considered as a message to the US administration, says something about the US Congress’ continued support for Israel, while criticism of the war in Gaza has increased in the international community.
The purpose of the motion is to impose sanctions on individuals who have participated in the prosecution of citizens of the United States or non-ICC allies of the United States. Israel is not a member of the ICC.
Last month, the White House criticized the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israel.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan demanded an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister in May Benjamin to Netanyahu and the Minister of Defense To Yoav Gallant. In addition, Khan demanded an arrest warrant for the leaders of the terrorist organization Hamas.
Khan said in a statement that he demanded the arrest of Hamas’ Gaza leader by Yahya Sinwarithe head of the organization Ismail Haniyyan and the head of the armed wing of Hamas by Mohammed Deif.
According to Khan, he has reason to believe that Netanyahu, Gallant, and the aforementioned Hamas leaders have all committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Netanyahu called the ICC prosecutor’s decision absurd.
On October 7, Hamas fighters killed around 1,200 people in a terrorist attack in the southern parts of Israel. In addition, Hamas forces took more than 250 people hostage, of which around 120 are still hostages in Gaza. After the terrorist attack by Hamas, Israel started a military operation in the Gaza Strip in October. Israeli military forces have killed more than 36,000 people in air and ground attacks in the densely populated Gaza Strip, health officials in Hamas-ruled Gaza say.
Sources: Reuters, AFP