Key Points
- The US House has passed a bill to sanction International Criminal Court officials over Israel.
- The Senate has promised swift consideration of the act so Donald Trump can sign it into law.
- The ICC says its decision to pursue warrants against Israeli officials is in line with its approach in all cases.
It accused them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the ongoing Hamas-Israel war, claims that Israel rejects.
Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said: “America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally, Israel.”
What is the bill?
Forty-five Democrats joined 198 Republicans in backing the bill. No Republican voted against it.
The house vote, one of the first since the new Congress was seated last week, underscored strong support among president-elect Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans for Israel’s government, now that they control both chambers in Congress.
The court said its decision to pursue warrants against Israeli officials followed its usual process, based on the prosecutor’s assessment that there was enough evidence and that issuing arrest warrants immediately could prevent ongoing crimes.