US President Joe Biden has condemned the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor's application for arrest warrants against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a statement released by the White House on Monday, Biden responded for the first time to ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan’s move, labeling it "outrageous."
"The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous," the statement read. "And let me be clear: We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security."
The Biden administration has consistently expressed "ironclad" support for Israel's ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also criticized the ICC’s action, questioning the court's jurisdiction and the process behind the application. "The United States fundamentally rejects the announcement today from the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court," Blinken stated.
Pro-Israel members of Congress have warned that the ICC could face repercussions from the US if it proceeds with the warrants. Some US senators even threatened to target ICC Prosecutor Khan, his family, and court staff personally if the warrants against Netanyahu and senior military officers were issued.
Khan stated on Monday that there are reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Israel's Minister of Military Affairs, Yoav Gallant, "bear criminal responsibility" for "war crimes and crimes against humanity." This assertion has been supported by various international law experts, including Catriona Murdoch, who emphasized the significance of prosecuting the war crime of starvation.
Murdoch, a director at Global Rights Compliance, highlighted that this moment marks a critical point in addressing starvation as a deliberate military strategy rather than a collateral effect of conflict. She criticized Israeli officials for their dehumanizing language and blatant disregard for the rules of proportionality and necessity.
The conflict in Gaza, which began in early October, has resulted in the displacement of about 80% of the territory's 2.3 million residents and the deaths of 35,562 people. The ongoing violence has caused widespread destruction and severe humanitarian crises across the region.
