By The United States of America (USA) remains resolute in standing by their ally Israel. Following the issuance of a warrant of arrest for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court (ICC), America affirmed its support for Israel.
The outgoing President of America Joe Biden rejected the ICC’s decision to issue a warrant of arrest for Netanyahu and his former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant calling it outrageous. In a very brief statement, Biden made it very clear that their support for Israel will not be shaken by any means.
Joe Biden even drew a comparison between Israel and Hamas, saying what Israel is doing is nowhere near compared to what Hamas is doing.
“The ICC issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous. Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security,” said President Biden.
The ICC on Thursday, 21 November 2024, issued a warrant of arrest for Netanyahu and former Israeli Minister of Defence stating that the Court has found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each has committed the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts, as a direct perpetrator, acting jointly with others.
The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that they are each responsible for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against civilians as a superior.
In his statement, the ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC said he has also issued a warrant of arrest for Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri; he said the ICC found reasonable grounds to believe that he is responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder, extermination, torture, and rape and other forms of sexual violence; as well as the war crimes of murder, cruel treatment, torture, taking hostages, outrages upon personal dignity, and rape and other forms of sexual violence.
“Today, our collective mind and focus should be on the victims of international crimes in Israel and in the State of Palestine. In my own meetings with the victims and families of hostages taken from kibbutzim, and with victims from Gaza who have lost so many loved ones, I have underlined that the law is there for all, that its role is to vindicate the rights of all persons.
The decision of the independent judges of the International Criminal Court affirms that international humanitarian law must be upheld in all circumstances through fair and impartial judicial processes,” said the ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan.
