Biden criticizes ICC for equating Israel and Hamas

The Biden administration strongly criticized the International Criminal Court's attempts to issue arrest warrants for top Israeli officials and Hamas leaders. They believe that these efforts equate the terrorist organization with a key ally of the United States.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan revealed in an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the tribunal is pursuing arrest warrants for individuals such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. They are accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection to the October 7 attack on Israel and the resulting conflict that has tragically claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians.

The prosecution team is requesting warrants for Israel's Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, as well as top Hamas leaders, according to Khan.

In a statement released on Monday, Biden criticized the ICC's actions as "outrageous."

The president emphasized in his statement that there is no comparison between Israel and Hamas, despite what the prosecutor may suggest.

Khan's actions in seeking warrants allowed Biden, a longstanding supporter of Israel, to publicly express his strong support for the country during a period of strained relations between the president and Israeli leadership. Biden even placed conditions on US aid to Israel for the first time in response to Israel's planned invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza. He has also engaged in candid phone conversations with the Israeli prime minister in an effort to steer away from military actions in heavily populated areas.

This is the first time the ICC has requested an arrest warrant for the leader of a major US ally, putting Netanyahu in a group with Putin and Gadhafi, who were also targeted by the ICC for arrest.

The ICC prosecutor, Khan, defended the tribunal's actions, stating that "Nobody is above the law" in an interview with Amanpour.

Neither the US nor Israel are members of the ICC. This means that if the court were to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu or Gallant, it would be very challenging for these Israeli leaders to travel to any of the 124 countries that are part of the court’s laws. This includes key US allies like Britain and Germany, who would be required to cooperate with extradition efforts for those with warrants.

The news of the ICC seeking warrants for the Israeli leaders sparked global condemnation. Even close US allies like Britain expressed that the court’s actions were not helpful in achieving a pause in the fighting. Secretary of State Antony Blinken went further to state that the United States fundamentally rejects the court’s announcement, as it could potentially jeopardize the current efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal between the conflicting parties.

Biden administration officials raised doubts about the ICC's authority to make those arrests. House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized the ICC's actions as "baseless and illegitimate" and mentioned that House GOP leaders are considering imposing sanctions in reaction to the court's ruling. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that the Biden administration intends to keep Congress informed but did not confirm backing any Republican proposal for imposing additional sanctions on the ICC.

Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who typically aligns with Democrats but often differs from Biden on Israel, voiced his support for the ICC's decision. As one of the nation's leading Jewish politicians, Sanders has been vocal in criticizing Israel's military actions.

In a statement, Sanders expressed agreement with the ICC prosecutor's actions and emphasized the importance of upholding international law within the global community.

The United States finds itself in a tricky situation due to the criticism of the ICC's work. Despite this, the US is backing the ICC's initiative to uncover and probe Russian war crimes linked to its activities in Ukraine.

Kirby confirmed that the US will stand behind these endeavors.

Kirby told reporters on Monday that Mr. Putin's actual war aim is to kill innocent Ukrainian people by deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure with the goal of harming civilians.

Kirby added that the IDF is not engaging in similar actions.

Kirby still mentioned that the United States is encouraging the Israeli government to conduct more precise and targeted operations in Gaza.

This report also includes contributions from CNN’s Nikki Carvajal and Haley Talbot.

Editor's P/S:

The Biden administration's strong condemnation of the ICC's attempt to issue arrest warrants for top Israeli officials and Hamas leaders highlights the complex and often conflicting nature of international law and politics. While the ICC aims to hold individuals accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity, the US and Israel argue that it is unfairly targeting Israel, a key US ally. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the US and Israel are not members of the ICC, making it unlikely that any arrest warrants would be enforced.

The ICC's actions have sparked global condemnation, with many countries expressing concerns that they could undermine efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. The US, in particular, has been critical of the ICC's decision, arguing that it could jeopardize diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. However, the ICC prosecutor has defended the tribunal's actions, stating that "Nobody is above the law." It remains to be seen whether the ICC will ultimately issue arrest warrants for the Israeli leaders, and if so, what the consequences will be.