The ICC Prosecutor’s Office recently issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohamed Diab al Masri, and Ismail Haniye for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. These warrants were related to the October 7 attacks by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli offensive in Gaza. However, the White House has clarified that they do not believe imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) is the appropriate response to these developments.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously stated his willingness to collaborate with Republicans in Congress to respond in an “appropriate” manner to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office’s request. However, now that the White House has taken a stance against imposing sanctions on the ICC, it is unclear how Blinken will proceed with this collaboration.
Republican Michael McCaul, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had proposed passing a bipartisan bill as a form of deterrence in response to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office’s announcement. However, a coalition of 121 NGOs, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International America, have called on President Joe Biden to oppose such measures, citing concerns that they would undermine the ICC’s mandate. It remains to be seen whether these organizations will be successful in their efforts to persuade Biden to take action against McCaul’s bill.
