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The US House of Representatives voted 243-140 on Thursday, as per Reuters, to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to its arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. The warrants were issued over alleged war crimes committed during Israel’s campaign in Gaza.
The bill, called the “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,” aims to sanction any foreign national who investigates, arrests, detains, or prosecutes US citizens or citizens of allied countries, including Israel, who are not members of the ICC.
Forty-five Democrats joined 198 Republicans in voting for the legislation, with no Republican votes against it, reported Reuters.
The ICC, which has not commented on the House vote, is a permanent international court with the authority to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in member states or by their nationals. The court has stated that its actions, including the warrants for Israeli officials, are based on its standard procedure of assessing sufficient evidence to proceed.
In December, ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane warned that sanctions could severely undermine the court’s operations and even threaten its existence. The act passed by the House also allows targeting individuals who assist the court’s work, further complicating its ability to function effectively.
The sanctions bill is expected to move swiftly to the Senate, where the Republican majority has indicated strong support. Plans are in place for President-elect Donald Trump to sign the bill into law shortly after taking office on January 20.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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