A group of 12 Republican U.S. Senators have threatened the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, with sanctions if the court issues arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials for their alleged involvement in the genocide of Palestinians.
According to international media reports, the letter from the Republican Senators warned that if the ICC holds Netanyahu or other Israeli officials accountable for the situation in Gaza, it would be seen as an attack not only on Israel but also on the sovereignty of the United States.
The letter, signed by the 12 Republican Senators, comes as the ICC’s ongoing investigations into Israeli aggression in Gaza and the West Bank continue. The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians and the injury of more than 78,000 others.
Despite global condemnation, Israel has already launched an attack on Rafah, with the international community previously warning the country of the devastating consequences of a ground operation in the region.
There are ongoing speculations that the ICC may issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other high-ranking Israeli officials, which has prompted the U.S. Senators to take a strong stance against the court’s potential actions.
The senators’ threat of sanctions against the ICC raises concerns about the potential undermining of international law and the court’s ability to hold perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity accountable, regardless of their political or military status.