US Congress reportedly warns ICC over arrest warrants for Israeli officials

Several members of the US Congress — from both sides of the aisle — are planning to issue a warning to the International Criminal Court [ICC] over potential arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, according to US news outlet Axios.

Sources in the Capitol told the news website that discussions are under way to introduce legislation aimed at thwarting any such moves by the ICC.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly appealed to US President Joe Biden for intervention to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants.

Based in The Hague, Netherlands, the ICC has been investigating alleged war crimes involving both the Israeli military and Palestinian resistance groups.

While the White House refrained from directly addressing Netanyahu's plea, it reiterated that the ICC lacks jurisdiction in this matter, and the US does not support its investigation.

On Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the United States did not support the ICC's investigation. "We don't believe that they have the jurisdiction," Jean-Pierre said.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson has condemned the reported warrants as "disgraceful" and "lawless," warning of dire consequences if left unaddressed.

Johnson called on the Biden administration to demand the withdrawal of ICC plans and to take all necessary measures to prevent such actions.

On the Republican side, there is a strong criticism of the ICC as well.

Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, expects the introduction of a House version of Senator Tom Cotton's bill to sanction ICC officials involved in investigations against the US and its allies.

However, McCaul expressed hope that such measures would not be necessary.

Even pro-Israel Democratic lawmakers, such as Representative Ritchie Torres and Senator John Fetterman, have voiced concerns about the reported warrants, calling for consequences from Congress and the US president.

Preemptive backlash

Despite preemptive backlash, the ICC has yet to issue any arrest warrants for Israeli political and military leaders complicit in what many experts and Palestinians is the ongoing genocide in Gaza. However, Israeli media reports suggest that such warrants may be imminent against senior Israeli figures.

Netanyahu has vehemently opposed any attempts by the ICC to issue such a warrant, warning of potential threats worldwide. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz claims anti-Semitism could surge following the issuance of arrest warrants.

With most European nations signing up to ICC's statute, they're legally bound to apprehend anyone for whom the ICC issues an arrest warrant.

Though neither Israel nor the US are ICC members, the looming threat of warrants means Israeli officials could find themselves facing arrest in several nations.

Israel has since October last year killed at least 34,488 Palestinians — 70% of them babies, children and women — and wounded over 77,643 while some 8,400 people are feared buried under the rubble of bombed buildings.

Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, starving. The Israeli war has pushed 90 percent of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to do more to prevent starvation crisis in Gaza. Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the rights situation in the Palestinian territories, says there are reasonable grounds to believe Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.