International court rejects ‘threats’ as it evaluates arrests between Israel and Hamas

The International Criminal Court (ICC) rejected the “threats” on Friday as it faced intense pressure following reports of possible arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas officials for their conduct in the October 7 attack and the ongoing war in Gaza. followed.

Several pro-Israel US lawmakers and the Biden administration have urged the ICC to refrain from such action, arguing that it does not have jurisdiction over Israel. Axios reported Thursday that senators from both parties met with ICC officials to discuss their anxieties about potential arrest warrants.

“The Office seeks to engage constructively with all interested parties whenever such dialogue is consistent with its mandate under the Rome Statute to act independently and impartially,” the ICC Prosecutor’s Office said. said in a statement on Friday posted on social platform X.

“This independence and impartiality are undermined, however, when individuals threaten to retaliate against the Court or Court officials if the Office, in carrying out its mandate, makes decisions on investigations or cases that fall within its jurisdiction,” the statement continues.

“Such threats, even when not put into practice, may also constitute an offense against the administration of justice under art. 70 of the Rome Statute.”

The statement does not mention the origin of the threats.

The ICC came into force in 2002 under an international statute that gives the court jurisdiction over crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. Neither the US nor Israel are among the court’s 123 member states.

Israel’s allies in Washington resisted the possible arrest warrants, which The New York Times reported could be related to Israeli authorities “blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip” and for “seeking an overly harsh response” after the Hamas attack in October. 7.

“We were very clear about the ICC investigation. We do not support this. We don’t believe they have jurisdiction. And I’ll leave it at that for now,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, added that Israel should not be investigated because it has a “comparable system” of its own.

And House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) argued that the lawsuits against Israeli officials could set a precedent for lawsuits against American officials because neither country is a signatory to the court.

“Such an illegal action by the ICC would directly harm US national security interests,” he said in a statement. “If left unchallenged by the Biden administration, the ICC could create and assume unprecedented power to issue arrest warrants against American political leaders, American diplomats, and American military personnel, thereby endangering our country’s sovereign authority.”