Republican lawmakers on Monday renewed calls for the United States to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the international body issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant.
After reports emerged earlier this month that the ICC was planning to issue arrest warrants, House Republican Conference Leader Elise Stefanik (NY) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) presented a bill which would sanction and revoke the visas of individuals involved in the ICC investigation or prosecution of U.S. allies.
On Monday, after the arrest warrants were officially issued, Stefanik and Roy renewed their pressure.
“The ICC is an illegitimate court that confuses a peaceful nation that protects its right to exist with radical terrorist groups that commit genocide,” Stefanik wrote on social platform.
“Congress must pass my bill with @chiproytx, the Countering Illegitimate Courts Act, which will punish those at the ICC who made this baseless undemocratic decision,” she continued.
“The Trump administration was right to impose sanctions on the ICC,” Roy wrote on X. “@HouseGOP must pass Rep. Roy, @RepBrianMast and @RepStefanik’s bill (HR 8282) to reimpose sanctions on the ICC for targeting our ally Israel.”
There is a supplementary account in the Senate – supported by Republican Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Florida) – calling for sanctions against the ICC.
The ICC issued arrest warrants on Monday for Netanyahu and Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Muhammad Deif. The ICC prosecutor said he found evidence of war crimes committed by Hamas on October 7, such as killing civilians and taking hostages, as well as by Israel in the ensuing war in Gaza, specifically using starvation as a weapon of war.
President Biden blasted the arrest warrants against Israel on Monday.
“The ICC prosecutor’s request to obtain arrest warrants for Israeli leaders is outrageous,” Biden said in a statement. “And let me be clear: Whatever this prosecutor may suggest, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand by Israel against threats to its security.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
