US Senate blocks bill to impose sanctions on ICC
The Senate voted 54-45 in favour, falling short of the needed 60 votes in favour to advance.
The US Senate has blocked a bill to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister over the carnage in besieged Gaza.
The chamber voted 54-45 in favour of the bill on Tuesday, meaning the measure, which had already passed the Republican-majority House of Representatives, could not get the 60 "yes" votes needed in the 100-member Senate to advance.
The vote was largely along party lines, with almost every Democrat and Independent voting against it. Senator John Fetterman was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans to advance the measure. Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff did not vote.
The "Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act" would have imposed sanctions on any foreigner who investigates, arrests, detains or prosecutes US citizens or those of an allied country, including Israel, who are not members of the court.
It passed the House earlier this month 243-140, as 45 Democrats joined Republicans in voting "yes."
In the Senate, Democrats said they agreed with much of the bill but said it was too broad and risked alienating important US allies and imposing sanctions on lower-level workers at the court in the Netherlands.
Urging colleagues to vote "no," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer accused the ICC of having "an anti-Israel bias that cannot be ignored." However, he said the bill was poorly crafted and also could target US companies, such as those whose products help protect the court from foreign hackers.
Israeli carnage
Israel's genocide in the blockaded enclave, with US assistance, has reportedly killed 47,354 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
The carnage reduced most of the enclave in ruins, displaced almost the entire population and caused a massive shortage of basic necessities, including food, water, medicine and electricity.
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November last year for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.