Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) stated that he would prioritize legislation imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the next Congress if the current Senate majority leader does not take action on it. Thune’s call for sanctions comes in response to the ICC’s pursuit of arrest warrants for Israeli officials in connection with the Israel–Hamas conflict in Gaza.
The House of Representatives passed a bill in June aimed at imposing sanctions on individuals involved in the ICC’s efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute protected persons. Under this bill, those subject to sanctions would be barred from entering or staying in the United States.
Thune emphasized that Senate Republicans will make this bill, along with other supportive legislation, a top priority in the upcoming Congress if outgoing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) does not take action.
Thune mentioned on social media that if the ICC and its prosecutor do not retract their actions against Israeli officials, the Senate should swiftly pass sanctions legislation, following the House’s bipartisan approval of such measures.
In May, the ICC’s chief prosecutor requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders, over alleged war crimes committed during the Gaza conflict.
A bipartisan group of senators released a statement expressing concern that the ICC’s actions could undermine efforts to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East and jeopardize negotiations to secure the release of hostages.
While some lawmakers supported the ICC’s actions, others, such as Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Bernie Sanders, endorsed the prosecutor’s decision to pursue arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders.
The Biden administration expressed reservations about imposing sanctions on the ICC in response to the arrest warrant applications. The White House warned that such legislation could lead to sanctions against court personnel, judges, witnesses, and U.S. allies providing support to the court.
Several Republican senators, including Lindsey Graham and Jim Risch, voiced support for Thune’s call for sanctions against the ICC. They criticized the ICC’s actions against Israel and urged the Senate to pass the sanction legislation without delay.
Thune’s statement received praise from fellow Republicans, with Sen. Graham calling for an independent review of the prosecutor’s actions and Sen. Risch emphasizing the need for immediate action by the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did not respond immediately to requests for comments on Thune’s statement. The State Department reiterated that the ICC lacks jurisdiction to prosecute charges related to the conflict between the Israeli military and Hamas in Gaza.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan asserted that the court has jurisdiction over the matter and urged a prompt decision on his request for arrest warrants, emphasizing the importance of timely proceedings for the rights of victims.
This report was contributed to by Jackson Richman.
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