The White House refused to support proposed sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the international tribunal requested arrest warrants for Israeli officials for alleged “war crimes” as the country fights the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.
“We don’t believe that sanctions against the ICC is the right approach here, no,” said National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby during a White House press briefing on Tuesday.
He said the Biden administration does not “believe the ICC has jurisdiction” and doesn’t support the arrest warrants requested against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
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President Biden (AP Photo/Alex Brandon/File)
The ICC requested the warrants alongside similar ones for Hamas’ leaders; the organization accuses both Israeli and Hamas leaders of committing “war crimes.”
Despite objecting to the ICC’s move, Kirby said the Biden administration doesn’t think “sanctioning the ICC is the answer.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan (File)
The White House’s stance on potential sanctions comes as both the House and Senate make policy recommendations to respond to the ICC.
Last week, a bipartisan group led by Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., advised visa bans for ICC officials and sanctions on the international body. The group included Democrat Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., John Fetterman, D-Penn., and Bob Casey, D-Penn.
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Sens. Joe Manchin, left, and Mike Rounds are leading a bipartisan group on a resolution rejecting the ICC’s Israel arrest warrant requests and proposing sanctions on the body. (Getty Images/File)
The introduced Senate provision also sought to formally reject the actions of the ICC.
In the House, Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Brian Mast, R-Fla., have introduced a measure that would force the president to implement sanctions against the ICC if the court goes after U.S. allies, such as Israel, which are not in its jurisdiction.
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Rep. Chip Roy, left, is one of the lawmakers leading a bill to sanction the ICC after it was reported that it could issue arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right. (Getty Images/File)
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According to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., “There are ongoing discussions, as I understand it, between Chairman (Michael) McCaul (R-Texas) and ranking member Gregory Meeks, (D-N.Y.), and the objective is trying to reach bipartisan consensus with respect to the International Criminal Court.”
However, with the White House ruling out sanctions, it’s unclear whether any actions will be taken by the U.S. in response to the ICC.
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
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