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US politicians criticize ICC prosecutor's pursuit of Israeli, Hamas officials
(MENAFN) The decision by the International Criminal Court's (ICC) top prosecutor to pursue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, alongside three senior Hamas officials, has elicited strong criticism from Capitol Hill on Monday.
Karim Khan's announcement earlier in the day detailed his application for arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant, Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, and Mohammed Deif. The final determination on whether these warrants will be issued rests with a panel of three ICC judges, who will evaluate the evidence presented by Khan's office.
Senior Republicans on Capitol Hill had previously issued threats against Khan, his senior officials, and their families, warning of repercussions should the ICC proceed with arrest warrants for Israeli officials. Reports have suggested that lawmakers in both the House and Senate are actively working on crafting legislation to impose penalties in response to the ICC's actions.
While no formal announcement has been made, members from both chambers have reacted strongly against Khan's decision.
"This outrageous decision is truly a slap in the face to the independent judiciary in Israel, which is renowned for their independence," stated Sen. Lindsey Graham.
"I will feverishly work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle in both chambers to levy damning sanctions against the ICC," he further mentioned.
Senator Jim Risch, the leading Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed his disbelief at Khan's decision, describing it as "absurd."
"The fact that the court applied for warrants for Hamas and Israeli officials at the same time provides a false moral equivalency between their actions. Israel has responded to reckless Hamas aggression with extreme caution for civilians while Hamas raped and murdered Israeli and American civilians," he stated in a declaration. "Today’s actions have hurt the credibility of the court and seriously harmed legitimate accountability efforts where true war crimes are occurring, like Ukraine, Syria and across Africa."
Karim Khan's announcement earlier in the day detailed his application for arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant, Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, and Mohammed Deif. The final determination on whether these warrants will be issued rests with a panel of three ICC judges, who will evaluate the evidence presented by Khan's office.
Senior Republicans on Capitol Hill had previously issued threats against Khan, his senior officials, and their families, warning of repercussions should the ICC proceed with arrest warrants for Israeli officials. Reports have suggested that lawmakers in both the House and Senate are actively working on crafting legislation to impose penalties in response to the ICC's actions.
While no formal announcement has been made, members from both chambers have reacted strongly against Khan's decision.
"This outrageous decision is truly a slap in the face to the independent judiciary in Israel, which is renowned for their independence," stated Sen. Lindsey Graham.
"I will feverishly work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle in both chambers to levy damning sanctions against the ICC," he further mentioned.
Senator Jim Risch, the leading Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed his disbelief at Khan's decision, describing it as "absurd."
"The fact that the court applied for warrants for Hamas and Israeli officials at the same time provides a false moral equivalency between their actions. Israel has responded to reckless Hamas aggression with extreme caution for civilians while Hamas raped and murdered Israeli and American civilians," he stated in a declaration. "Today’s actions have hurt the credibility of the court and seriously harmed legitimate accountability efforts where true war crimes are occurring, like Ukraine, Syria and across Africa."
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