US Senators intensify efforts to block ICC arrest warrants against Israeli officials

May 3, 2024 

A pro-Palestinian demonstrator holds a sign that reads, Selective Justice is Injustice during a pro Palestine demonstration in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on October 18, 2023 in The Hague, Netherlands [Roger Anis/Getty Images]

US Senators have intensified their efforts to block potential arrest warrants being issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and other top Israeli officials over the ongoing military assault in Gaza, Axios has reported. This development comes as the US is also reportedly considering inviting the Israeli Prime Minister to address Congress, despite the ICC’s investigation into possible war crimes committed by Israeli forces supported by Washington.

According to three sources who were either present in the meeting or briefed about it, a bipartisan group of Senators held a virtual meeting on Wednesday with senior ICC officials to express their concerns about the potential arrest warrants.

The ICC, based in The Hague, Netherlands, has been investigating possible war crimes dating back to the 2014 Israeli onslaught on Gaza and has extended its investigation to the recent attack which has killed nearly 35,000 people, the vast majority of whom are women and children.

In February ICC Prosecutor expressed deep concern over Israeli bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Since then, the death toll in Gaza and devastation of the besieged enclave has increased.

Israeli officials have grown increasingly apprehensive over the last two weeks, fearing that the ICC may issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi. The Israeli government has warned the Biden administration that, if such warrants are issued, it will take punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority, potentially leading to its collapse.

Read: International Criminal Court applies double standards on Palestine: Euro-Med

The issue of potential ICC arrest warrants was reportedly discussed during a recent call between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden, with the Israeli Prime Minister seeking US assistance in the matter. Republican lawmakers have threatened to pass legislation against the ICC if it proceeds with the arrest warrants, a move that the Biden administration has stated it opposes.

Sources, reported in Axios, familiar with the meeting between Senators and ICC officials have not disclosed the identities of the participants, citing the confidential nature of the discussion. However, one source described the meeting as an opportunity for the Senators to voice their concerns about the ICC’s investigation into the war in Gaza.

The office of the ICC Prosecutor is said to have declined to comment on the specifics of the meeting, stating, “Confidentiality is a crucial aspect of the work of the Prosecutor. Therefore, we do not publicly discuss specifics related to the office’s activities and engagements.”