U.S. Senate blocks Republican attempt to impose sanctions on ICC
Date
1/29/2025 6:59:46 AM
(MENAFN) The U.S. Senate blocked a Republican attempt to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant, who are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza Strip. The vote in the Senate ended with 54 votes against and 45 in favor, falling short of the 60 votes required to advance the measure. Senator John Veterman was the only Democrat to support the bill, while Senator John Osov abstained from voting.
The bill, already passed in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives with a 243 to 140 vote earlier this month, sought to sanction any foreign official investigating or prosecuting U.S. citizens or nationals from allied countries like Israel, who are not ICC members. Critics argued the bill was overly broad and could damage relations with key U.S. allies, and could even target lower-level ICC employees. Republicans hoped the bill would be signed into law before Donald Trump’s presidency ended on January 20, especially given Netanyahu's planned visit to the White House on February 4. White House officials have not yet commented on whether Trump might use an executive order to impose sanctions.
The conflict in Gaza, supported by U.S. aid, has led to catastrophic loss of life, with over 159,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, most of them women and children, and tens of thousands still missing.
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