The White House has decided not to support proposed sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the ICC requested warrants for Israeli officials accused of “war crimes” in their conflict with Hamas.
National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator John Kirby said during a White House press briefing that the Biden administration does not think sanctions against the ICC are the right approach.
Kirby also mentioned that the U.S. does not believe the ICC has the authority to issue these warrants and does not support the warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The ICC also requested warrants for Hamas leaders for similar accusations of “war crimes.”
Despite opposing the ICC’s move, Kirby stated that sanctioning the ICC is not the answer. This stance comes as both the House and Senate are making policy recommendations in response to the ICC’s actions.
Last week, a bipartisan group led by Senators Mike Rounds and Joe Manchin suggested visa bans for ICC officials and sanctions on the court.
This group included Democratic Senators Jacky Rosen, Kirsten Gillibrand, John Fetterman, and Bob Casey. The Senate provision also aimed to formally reject the ICC’s actions.
In the House, Representatives Chip Roy and Brian Mast introduced a measure that would require the president to implement sanctions against the ICC if it targets U.S. allies like Israel, which are not within its jurisdiction.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries mentioned ongoing discussions between Chairman McCaul and ranking member Gregory Meeks to reach a bipartisan consensus on the ICC issue.
However, with the White House ruling out sanctions, it is unclear if the U.S. will take any action against the ICC.