The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) following the prosecutor’s decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli officials in connection with the war in Gaza. The bill passed with a vote of 247 to 155, including support from 42 Democrats, while two Republicans voted “present.”
Although the measure is unlikely to become law, it underscores continued congressional support for Israel amid international criticism of its Gaza campaign. The White House criticized the ICC’s decision last month.
The Senate, controlled narrowly by Democrats, is not expected to vote on the bill. The proposed legislation would sanction individuals involved in ICC prosecutions of Americans or citizens of U.S. allies that are not ICC members, including Israel. It also includes provisions to block ICC officials from entering the U.S., revoke their visas, and restrict their property transactions in the country.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, after over seven months of conflict in Gaza, stated he had reasonable grounds to believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense chief, and three Hamas leaders bear criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Netanyahu denounced the ICC’s move as absurd and an attack on Israel.
The conflict began when Israel launched an air and ground offensive in Gaza last October in response to Hamas militants’ attacks on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in around 1,200 Israeli casualties and over 250 hostages taken, with approximately 120 hostages still held in Gaza. The Israeli military campaign has resulted in over 36,000 deaths in Gaza, according to its health authorities, with thousands more bodies reportedly buried under rubble.
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