Republicans renew call for sanctions on ICC following Netanyahu arrest warrant

Republican lawmakers on Monday renewed calls for the United States to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the international body issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

After reports surfaced earlier this month that the ICC was planning to issue the arrest warrants, House Republican Conference Leader Elise Stefanik (N.Y.) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) introduced a bill that would sanction and revoke the visas of individuals involved in the ICC investigation or prosecution of U.S. allies.

On Monday, after the arrest warrants were officially issued, Stefanik and Roy renewed their push.

“The ICC is an illegitimate court that equivocates a peaceful nation protecting its right to exist with radical terror groups that commit genocide,” Stefanik wrote on the social platform X.

“Congress must pass my bill with @chiproytx, the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, that will punish those in the ICC that made this baseless undemocratic decision,” she continued.

“The Trump administration was right to impose sanctions on the ICC,” Roy wrote on X. “@HouseGOP must pass Rep. Roy, @RepBrianMast, and @RepStefanik’s bill (HR 8282) to reimpose sanctions on the ICC for targeting our ally Israel.”

There’s a companion bill in the Senate — backed by GOP Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Florida) — that calls for sanctions against the ICC.

The ICC issued arrest warrants Monday for Netanyahu and Gallant, as well as for Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Muhammad Deif. The ICC prosecutor said he found evidence of war crimes committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, such as killing civilians and capturing hostages, as well as by Israel in its ensuing war in Gaza, specifically by using starvation as a weapon of war.

President Biden blasted the arrest warrants against Israel on Monday.

“The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous,” Biden said in a statement. “And let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas.  We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”