US rejects ICC Prosecutor's request

US President Joe Biden issued a written statement reacting to the request by International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan, stating that they do not accept the decision.

In his statement, Biden remarked, "The ICC prosecutor's application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous. 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."

"WE REJECT IT FUNDAMENTALLY"

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also announced that they fundamentally reject ICC Prosecutor Khan's application for arrest warrants regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

In a written statement, Blinken commented, "The United States fundamentally rejects the ICC Prosecutor's announcement today of applications for arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials and Hamas terrorists. We reject the Prosecutor's equivalence of Israel with Hamas."

Arguing that the ICC has no jurisdiction over Israel in this process, Blinken claimed that Prosecutor Khan did not grant Israel the "right to self-defense" that he has shown to other countries.

WHAT HAPPENED?

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan had announced that he was seeking "arrest warrants" for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

According to a written statement from the ICC, in addition to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Khan had also applied for "arrest warrants" for Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas's leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, and the leader of Hamas's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif.