The Pentagon announced Thursday that it rejected the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Defense Department Deputy Spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters at a press conference Thursday that the United States “fundamentally rejects” the ICC's decision to issue the arrest warrant.
“We remain concerned about the rush by prosecutors to seek arrest warrants and, as you know, some of the procedures that have taken place thus far,” Singh said. “Once again, we are clear that the ICC has no jurisdiction over this matter.”
The ICC charged Netanyahu and Gallant with “crimes against humanity and war crimes,” including using starvation as a weapon of war and targeting civilians.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center) speaks with current and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant (left) at the opening ceremony of the 25th session of parliament to commemorate the anniversary of the “Iron Sword” War in Jerusalem on October 28. (Debbie Hill/Pool Photo via AP)
President Biden condemned the court's decision to issue arrest warrants for two senior Israeli officials.
“It is outrageous that the ICC would issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders,” Biden said. “Let me be clear once again: No matter what the ICC says, there is no equal relationship between Israel and Hamas. We will always support Israel against threats to its security.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the court's actions in a statement Thursday.
ICC rejects Israel's appeal, issues arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant
People inspect a building destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, on November 14. (AP Photo/Hussein Mara)
“The outrageous decision at the ICC, taken in bad faith, has turned universal justice into universal laughing stock,” Herzog wrote. “It makes a mockery of the sacrifices of all those fighting for justice, from the Allied victory over the Nazis to today.”
Herzog argued that the ICC decision ignores Hamas' use of human shields and the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack that sparked the war, as well as the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Israel made several efforts to prevent the ICC from approving the arrest warrant. They initially argued that the ICC had no jurisdiction over Israel, but said the court could issue arrest warrants as part of its “territorial jurisdiction over Palestine.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York City on September 27. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
Israel also filed other procedural challenges, which were rejected.
The ICC's move comes just days after incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune threatened to impose sanctions on the court if it proceeded with issuing an arrest warrant.
Although the United States does not officially recognize the ICC's authority, this is not the first time the U.S. government has attempted to halt the court's actions.
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In 2020, the Trump administration opposed the ICC's efforts to investigate the involvement of U.S. soldiers and the CIA in the incident. Suspected war crime He was detained in a “secret detention facility in Afghanistan” from 2003 to 2004 and imposed sanctions on the ICC prosecutor.
The Biden administration lifted these sanctions shortly after taking office.
Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
