By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court over the prosecutor’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials linked to the war in Gaza.
The vote was 247 to 155, with 42 Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the measure. There were no Republican “no” votes, although two voted “present.”
The measure is not expected to become law but reflects continued support for Israel in Congress amid international criticism of the Middle Eastern country’s campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The White House last month criticized the ICC’s decision to request the arrest warrants.
The bill is not expected to come up for a vote in the Senate, which is closely controlled by Biden’s fellow Democrats.
The legislation would impose sanctions on people involved in the ICC’s prosecution of Americans or on citizens of U.S. allies that are not members of the ICC, including Israel.
It would also block the entry of such ICC officials into the United States, revoke all U.S. visas and restrict their ability to engage in U.S. property transactions.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said last month – 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.
Netanyahu said the ICC prosecutor’s decision was absurd and that the measure was intended to attack all of Israel.
Israel launched an air and ground offensive in Gaza last October, vowing to destroy Hamas after militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage, according to Israeli figures. There are still about 120 hostages in Gaza.
Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 36,000 people in densely populated Gaza, according to health authorities, who say thousands more bodies are buried under the rubble.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
