US ‘fundamentally rejects’ ICC's issuance of arrest warrant for Netanyahu
A court based in The Hague has charged the Israeli Prime Minister with war crimes related to the situation in Gaza. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has charged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant with war crimes in relation to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
On Thursday, the White House expressed its opposition to the ICC's decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. The court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has also filed similar charges against Mohammed Deif, the military leader of Hamas.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council stated, “The US fundamentally rejects the Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials.” The spokesperson further expressed the administration’s concerns about the prosecutor's swift action in seeking warrants and noted “the troubling process errors that led to this decision.” They emphasized that the ICC “does not have jurisdiction over this matter.”
This announcement follows recent calls from the incoming leader of the US Senate Republicans for sanctions against the ICC unless it ceased its investigation into Israeli leadership. Although Israel is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC's authority, the court does have jurisdiction over the West Bank and Gaza, considered occupied Palestinian territories under international law.
In contrast, the European Union has taken a position that differs from that of Washington. Josep Borrell, the bloc’s foreign policy commissioner, described the ICC warrants as non-political and urged member states to respect and enforce them. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp indicated that the Netherlands “will act on the arrest warrants” and “fully comply” with the ICC's directives. However, the French Foreign Ministry noted that arresting Netanyahu during a visit would be “legally complex.”
Other nations, including Italy, Sweden, Norway, and Ireland, have also voiced their support for the ICC, underscoring confidence in its standards, integrity, and independence.
Israeli officials have condemned the warrants, alleging that the ICC is engaging in anti-Semitism. Israeli President Isaac Herzog declared on X that the ICC “has chosen the side of terror and evil over democracy and freedom, and turned the very system of justice into a human shield for Hamas’ crimes against humanity.” Netanyahu also rejected the charges, stating, “Israel rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions leveled against it by ICC.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir characterized the court as “anti-Semitic through and through” and called for actions including sanctions and the annexation of the West Bank.
The charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include the use of starvation as a method of warfare, with allegations that they have deliberately obstructed the flow of essential supplies like food, water, and medicine to Gaza’s civilian population without any “obvious military necessity.” These claims are part of a wider ICC investigation that also encompasses alleged crimes committed by Hamas during its attacks on Israel on October 7.
Should they travel to any of the 123 countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute, Netanyahu and Gallant could potentially face arrest.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Thursday, the White House expressed its opposition to the ICC's decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. The court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has also filed similar charges against Mohammed Deif, the military leader of Hamas.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council stated, “The US fundamentally rejects the Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials.” The spokesperson further expressed the administration’s concerns about the prosecutor's swift action in seeking warrants and noted “the troubling process errors that led to this decision.” They emphasized that the ICC “does not have jurisdiction over this matter.”
This announcement follows recent calls from the incoming leader of the US Senate Republicans for sanctions against the ICC unless it ceased its investigation into Israeli leadership. Although Israel is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC's authority, the court does have jurisdiction over the West Bank and Gaza, considered occupied Palestinian territories under international law.
In contrast, the European Union has taken a position that differs from that of Washington. Josep Borrell, the bloc’s foreign policy commissioner, described the ICC warrants as non-political and urged member states to respect and enforce them. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp indicated that the Netherlands “will act on the arrest warrants” and “fully comply” with the ICC's directives. However, the French Foreign Ministry noted that arresting Netanyahu during a visit would be “legally complex.”
Other nations, including Italy, Sweden, Norway, and Ireland, have also voiced their support for the ICC, underscoring confidence in its standards, integrity, and independence.
Israeli officials have condemned the warrants, alleging that the ICC is engaging in anti-Semitism. Israeli President Isaac Herzog declared on X that the ICC “has chosen the side of terror and evil over democracy and freedom, and turned the very system of justice into a human shield for Hamas’ crimes against humanity.” Netanyahu also rejected the charges, stating, “Israel rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions leveled against it by ICC.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir characterized the court as “anti-Semitic through and through” and called for actions including sanctions and the annexation of the West Bank.
The charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include the use of starvation as a method of warfare, with allegations that they have deliberately obstructed the flow of essential supplies like food, water, and medicine to Gaza’s civilian population without any “obvious military necessity.” These claims are part of a wider ICC investigation that also encompasses alleged crimes committed by Hamas during its attacks on Israel on October 7.
Should they travel to any of the 123 countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute, Netanyahu and Gallant could potentially face arrest.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
