US President Joe Biden comes in support of (ICC) International Criminal Court prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders “outrageous” and reiterated his support for Israel in its ongoing conflict with Hamas.
In his statement, Biden also emphasized that there is no “equivalence” between Israel and Hamas.
The arrest warrants for Yahya Sinwar
Biden did not comment on the arrest warrants for Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, and Ismail Haniyeh, the movement’s political leader.
Biden’s announcement of support for Netanyahu on the ICC proposal comes despite recent disagreements with Israel over Israel’s actions in the Gaza war. Washington recently withheld arms shipments to Israel to prevent an attack in the southern city of Rafah.
Top diplomat Blinken condemned the ICC’s request as “shameful” and called for continued progress toward a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas following the militant group’s October 7 attack on Israel.
He warned that it could have a negative impact on the effort.
“The United States fundamentally rejects today’s announcement by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court,” Blinken said in a statement.
From the Pannel of Experts
The ICC prosecutor presented specific charges against Netanyahu and Gallant, including “starvation of civilians as a means of war” and “extermination,” but said a full investigation was still underway.
Khan also charged three Hamas leaders, Yahya Sinwar, Muhammad Diab Ibrahim al-Masri (also known as Deif), and Ismail Haniyeh with war crimes, extermination and murder, and imprisonment and requested an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity, including torture, rape, and rape and other acts of sexual violence.
This claim was supported by evidence produced by a panel of experts, including international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.
In a statement responding to the expert report, Clooney wrote: “I do not accept that conflicts are beyond the law or that perpetrators should be above the law.”
Some US Republicans on Monday doubled down on their criticism of the ICC’s prosecution of Israel.
“My colleagues and I look forward to ensuring that Mr. Khan, his associates, and his family never set foot on American soil again,” said Republican Senator Tom Cotton wrote on X.
The World reacts to ICC
The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders on war crimes charges.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said on Monday that his office had filed a lawsuit against Israeli and Hamas leaders for alleged crimes committed during the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel and Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza.
It was announced that an arrest warrant had been filed.
Here are some reactions of all over the world to the announcement:
However, the US’s ambivalent attitude towards the court is reflected in the fact that it supported the ICC’s attempt to prosecute Russian President Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Monday condemned Israel’s move but said the United States “continues to support” the ICC in its investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
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