The International Criminal Court (ICC) has drawn sharp criticism for its decision to seek arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The move has sparked outrage among pro-Israel lawmakers in the US, who contend that the ICC is equating Israel with a terrorist group.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has ignited a firestorm of controversy with its request for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity. The move has drawn widespread condemnation from pro-Israel lawmakers in the United States, who accuse the ICC of equating Israel with a terrorist organization.
The ICC's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced on Monday that he believes there are "reasonable grounds" to accuse Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza strip. Among the charges listed by Khan are the intentional targeting of civilians and "starvation of civilians as a method of warfare."
Khan is also seeking arrest warrants for top Hamas leaders, including Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, over the Palestinian liberation group's October 7, 2023, terror attack in Israel.
The ICC's decision has angered many in the US Congress, who contend that the court is overstepping its authority. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) described the ICC's move as "a gift to terrorists around the globe and a slap in the face to the only free-standing democracy in the Middle East."
Emmer and other lawmakers have called for consequences against the ICC, including sanctions and denying its officials entry into the United States. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in a statement that Congress is "reviewing all options, including sanctions, to punish the ICC and ensure its leadership faces consequences if they proceed."
Meanwhile, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) suggested that ICC officials should be banned from setting foot in the U.S. "There is no legal or legislative basis for these charges," he told Fox News Digital.
On the other side of Capitol Hill, pro-Israel hawks in the Senate are equally furious. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said the charges against Netanyahu and Gallant are "politically motivated" and warned that Khan and his associates would be barred from entering the United States.
Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement that the ICC's actions "have hurt the credibility of the court and seriously harmed legitimate accountability efforts where true war crimes are occurring, like Ukraine, Syria, and across Africa."
Even Democrats have condemned the move, with President Biden slamming the ICC's warrants against Israel as "outrageous." Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) wrote on Twitter: "Requesting arrest warrants for both Israel and Hamas leaders suggests there is a moral equivalence between them – there is none and it’s disgusting to suggest otherwise. The ICC’s credibility is now in shambles and they have only themselves to thank."
The ICC's decision has sparked a heated debate about the court's jurisdiction and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. It remains to be seen whether the ICC will proceed with the arrest warrants and the consequences it will face if it does.
