The US House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday to sanction International Criminal Court officials in response to the court seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This move has triggered strong reactions from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. President Joe Biden has also condemned the ICC's actions, emphasizing that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas. However, the Biden administration has stated that it does not support the GOP-led effort to sanction the court.
Despite the House's approval of the sanctions bill with a 247 to 155 vote, including 42 Democrats in support, it is unlikely that the Senate will take up the legislation. The ICC prosecutor recently revealed in an interview that arrest warrants are being sought for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the October 7 attacks on Israel and the subsequent conflict in Gaza.
The bill outlines sanctions against individuals involved in investigating, arresting, detaining, or prosecuting any protected person of the United States and its allies. These sanctions include restrictions on US property transactions and visa-related measures. The International Criminal Court, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, was established in 2002 with a mandate to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
