IDF war crimes probe
Israeli PM asks Biden to block court’s arrest warrant threat
WASHINGTON: The US has said it opposes the International Criminal Court’s investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip, following reports the court was poised to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials.
Mr Netanyahu is understood to have asked US President Joe Biden to block the inquiry. The court, based in The Hague, is believed to be considering warrants for the arrest of Mr Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Israel Defence Forces chief of staff Herzi Halevi.
“We’ve been really clear about the ICC investigation,” Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said.
“We do not support it. We don’t believe that they have the jurisdiction.”
Neither Israel nor the US are among the court’s 124 member states.
“Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of selfdefence,” Mr Netanyahu wrote on X last week.
Behind the scenes, however, the Prime Minister is reported to be increasingly concerned that the court could hold him personally accountable for the spiralling death toll in Gaza and for mounting allegations of war crimes by Israeli troops.
Mr Netanyahu spoke with Mr Biden on Sunday about the ICC case and the latest hostage negotiations with Hamas.
It comes as UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron accused Hamas of standing in the way of a “very generous” ceasefire agreement with Israel in which some of the hostages it is holding could be released in return for a 40-day truce in the Gaza Strip.
“I hope Hamas accepts the proposal in front of them,” Lord Cameron said, adding that Israel’s war with the group will not end “until all the hostages are released”.
A Hamas delegation has been sent to Cairo to join mediators from Qatar and Egypt.
After the meeting in Cairo, the Hamas delegation returned to Qatar “to discuss the ideas and the proposal … and we are keen to respond as quickly as possible,” a Hamas source said.
Israel’s proposal includes a ceasefire of up to six weeks and the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for some 40 Israeli hostages.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the proposal before Hamas was “extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel”.
He urged the Islamist group to “decide quickly”, saying: “I’m hopeful that they will make the right decision.”