America rejects the request of the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leader of the Palestinian organization Hamas, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today.
“We reject equating Israel with Hamas. “The decision on the ICC’s arrest warrants will jeopardize efforts to reach an agreement on a ceasefire, the release of hostages and an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza,” Blinken stressed.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said earlier that the court had requested an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for the October 7 attack on Israeli territory and the ensuing war in the Gaza Strip.
Khan stated that, in addition to Netanyahu and Sinwar, the ICC is seeking arrest warrants for other Hamas leaders, as well as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The ICC Trial Chamber will consider Khan’s request for a warrant.
To Netanyahu’s statement that accusations against high-ranking Israeli officials would be “outrageous” and that Israel has its own judicial system that rigorously investigates any violation of the law, Khan emphasized that “no one is above the law.”
Israel and the US are not members of the ICC. However, the ICC claims jurisdiction over Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, since Palestinian leaders agreed in 2015 to commit to the ICC’s founding principles.
Biden on the ICC order
In a brief statement released by the White House, US President Joe Biden responded to ICC prosecutor Karim Khan’s request for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.
“The ICC prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant against Israeli leaders is outrageous,” Biden said.
“I want to be clear: whatever the prosecutor implies, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand by Israel against threats to its security,” he said.
The Biden administration has repeatedly maintained its steely support for Israel, although it has increasingly expressed concern over the high number of civilian deaths in Gaza and obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian aid.
