The United States has categorically dismissed the announcement from the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding his application for arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials and Hamas terrorists. The U.S. government firmly opposes the Prosecutor's comparison of Israel to Hamas, a brutal terrorist organization responsible for one of the most severe massacres of Jews since the Holocaust and currently holding numerous innocent people, including Americans, hostage.
Furthermore, it has been a long-standing position of the United States that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over this matter. The ICC was created by its state parties as a court with limited jurisdiction, based on principles of complementarity. However, these principles do not seem to have been considered in this case as the Prosecutor hastened to seek these arrest warrants without giving the Israeli legal system sufficient time to proceed. In previous situations, the Prosecutor deferred to national investigations and collaborated with states to allow them time to investigate. This same opportunity was not extended to Israel, which is currently investigating allegations against its personnel.
There are also significant concerns about the process followed. Despite not being a member of the court, Israel was ready to cooperate with the Prosecutor. Indeed, the Prosecutor himself had planned a visit to Israel as early as next week to discuss the investigation and hear from the Israeli Government. His staff was due in Israel today to coordinate this visit. However, Israel received information that they did not board their flight at around the same time that charges were announced by the Prosecutor on cable television. These circumstances raise serious doubts about the legitimacy and credibility of this investigation.
Ultimately, this decision does nothing beneficial and could potentially endanger ongoing efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire agreement that would release hostages and increase humanitarian assistance - goals that remain at forefront of U.S.'s relentless pursuit.