US Congress Supports Sanctions on ICC
The US House of Representatives has approved legislation aimed at imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to the issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act aims to impose sanctions on ICC officials and entities linked to the court's investigations, arrests, and detentions of Americans and citizens of allied countries. The legislation was approved by a vote of 243 to 140 on Thursday.
Ahead of the vote, Representative Brian Mast, leader of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, referred to the judiciary based in The Hague as a “kangaroo court.”
The bill will now proceed to the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority. A similar bill was blocked by Democrats when they controlled the Senate in June.
In November, the ICC issued warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, along with three senior Hamas members, on allegations of war crimes committed in Gaza.
Israel has firmly rejected these accusations as unwarranted. “Israel rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions and charges against it by the international criminal court, which is a biased and discriminatory political body,” Netanyahu stated at the time.
The ICC does not have the means to enforce its legal decisions without the cooperation of states that are parties to the Rome Statute, and Israel, much like the US, Russia, and China, does not recognize the court's jurisdiction.
Since then, Israel has targeted Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, claiming to have killed the group's military chief, Mohammed Deif. The ICC had also sought these individuals. Hamas has not confirmed Deif's death.
According to local Hamas-run authorities, over 46,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since fighting erupted in October 2023. Human rights organizations and the UN have repeatedly called for a ceasefire, but so far, the parties have only agreed to a weeklong truce in November 2023.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli cities, resulting in around 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 250 hostages, about 100 of whom remain in Gaza.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act aims to impose sanctions on ICC officials and entities linked to the court's investigations, arrests, and detentions of Americans and citizens of allied countries. The legislation was approved by a vote of 243 to 140 on Thursday.
Ahead of the vote, Representative Brian Mast, leader of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, referred to the judiciary based in The Hague as a “kangaroo court.”
The bill will now proceed to the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority. A similar bill was blocked by Democrats when they controlled the Senate in June.
In November, the ICC issued warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, along with three senior Hamas members, on allegations of war crimes committed in Gaza.
Israel has firmly rejected these accusations as unwarranted. “Israel rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions and charges against it by the international criminal court, which is a biased and discriminatory political body,” Netanyahu stated at the time.
The ICC does not have the means to enforce its legal decisions without the cooperation of states that are parties to the Rome Statute, and Israel, much like the US, Russia, and China, does not recognize the court's jurisdiction.
Since then, Israel has targeted Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, claiming to have killed the group's military chief, Mohammed Deif. The ICC had also sought these individuals. Hamas has not confirmed Deif's death.
According to local Hamas-run authorities, over 46,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since fighting erupted in October 2023. Human rights organizations and the UN have repeatedly called for a ceasefire, but so far, the parties have only agreed to a weeklong truce in November 2023.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli cities, resulting in around 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 250 hostages, about 100 of whom remain in Gaza.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
