The Republican-led United States House of Representatives passed a legislation that will impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court over its prosecutor’s decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli officials related to the war in Gaza.
The vote was 247 to 155, with 42 Democrats joining Republicans in backing the measure. There were no Republican nay votes, although just two voted present.
The measure is not expected to become a law, but shows continuing support for Israel in Congress amid international criticism over the Middle East country’s campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Last month the White House criticized the ICC’s decision to seek the warrants. The bill is not expected to be brought up for a vote in the Senate, which is controlled by Biden’s fellow Democrats.
The legislation will impose sanctions on people involved in ICC prosecutions of Americans or citizens of U.S. allies that are not ICC members, including Israel.
It will also block such ICC officials’ entry to the United States, revoke any U.S. visas and restrict them from U.S. property transactions.
Last month ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said, ‘after more than seven months of war in Gaza that he had reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s defense chief and three Hamas leaders bear criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity’.
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