Incoming US Senate leader threatens ICC sanctions over pending Netanyahu warrants

The incoming leader of the US Senate has threatened the International Criminal Court (ICC) with potential sanctions if it officially seeks arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as other officials.

John Thune, who will assume his position when President-Elect Trump takes office in January, said Washington must pass legislation permitting sanctions on the court if it approves of the arrest warrant requests put forward by chief prosecutor Karim Khan.

Thune was referring to the passing of a Republican bill back in June that would impose sanctions on the Hague-based court over its decision to seek arrest warrants for Netanyahu and the now former Minster of Defence Yoav Gallant.

The vote was passed 247 to 155, with 42 Democrats backing the measure. In May, the US, Israel’s long-term ally, had criticised the ICC's decision to seek the arrests. Israel, who has been pounding the Gaza Strip for over a year and killed 43,922 Palestinians, has also lashed out at Khan's arrest warrant requests, deeming them "antisemitic".

If passed, the bill would impose sanctions on people involved in ICC prosecutions of US citizens and of US allies who are not members of the international court, which includes Israel.

The upcoming Senate leader said on X: "If the ICC and its prosecutor do not reverse their outrageous and unlawful actions to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli officials, the Senate should immediately pass sanctions legislation, as the House has already done on a bipartisan basis."

In May, Khan said he would file applications for their arrest on the basis of carrying out war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine - in the Gaza Strip.

Khan also filed applications seeking the arrests of Yahya Sinwar, Mohammad Deif and Ismail Haniyeh on the same grounds.

All three Hamas members, however, have been killed since Khan made the announcement. Haniyeh, who served as the head of Hamas’ politburo, was killed by an Israeli strike on a Tehran warehouse in July, while Sinwar was confirmed killed in October.

Deif was also killed in July, by an Israeli air strike on the al-Mawasi camp, though Hamas had not acknowledged his death until the month.

In September, Khan urged the ICC to expedite arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, citing the "ongoing criminality" occurring in the Gaza Strip. The warrants are still awaiting approval from the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I.

In his post on X, Thune called on current Senate leader Chuck Schumer to issue such sanctions, adding that "the Senate Republican majority will stand with our key ally Israel and make this – and other supportive legislation – a top priority in the next Congress".