The US House of Representatives, led by Republicans, has passed legislation imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to its prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants against Israeli officials regarding the Gaza conflict.
The vote passed with a majority of 247 to 155, with 42 Democrats joining Republicans in support of the measure. Notably, there were no votes against the legislation from Republicans, although two members voted present.
While this measure is unlikely to become law, it reflects the ongoing strong support for Israel in Congress amidst international criticism of its actions in Gaza.
Last month, the White House criticized the ICC’s decision to seek arrest warrants. It is also unlikely that the bill will be brought to a vote in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
The proposed legislation aims to impose sanctions on individuals involved in ICC prosecutions of Americans or citizens of US allies who are not ICC members, including Israel. It would also ban ICC officials from entering the US and revoke any existing visas.
After more than seven months of conflict in Gaza, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan stated last month that he has reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders bear criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Netanyahu condemned the ICC prosecutor’s decision as absurd, claiming it targets Israel as a whole.
