‘Fundamentally rejecting’ ICC decision, US says it’s discussing next steps with Israel and allies

The US “fundamentally rejects” the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes perpetrated throughout Israel’s war against Hamas, a White House National Security spokesperson tells The Times of Israel.

“We remain deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision,” the spokesperson adds. When the ICC prosecutor announced his decision to request the arrest warrants in May, the US said at the time that he had failed to provide Israel with the opportunity to investigate the claims ahead of time.

“The United States has been clear that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over this matter. In coordination with partners, including Israel, we are discussing next steps,” the spokesperson adds.

While the Biden administration has spoken against the ICC and ICJ cases against Israel, it has to date rejected calls from Republican lawmakers to sanction the court as President-elect Donald Trump did in his first term.