Biden says ICC arrest warrants for Israel's Netanyahu and Gallant are 'outrageous'
Photo: US President Joe Biden (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
US President Joe Biden called the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants for Israel's prime minister and former defense minister outrageous. He promised further support for Israel, according to the White House press service.
“The ICC issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous. Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden adds that the United States will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.
ICC orders
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
The ICC says that the warrants were issued for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed between October 2023 and May 2024. Israel sharply criticized the International Criminal Court and accused it of anti-Semitism.
Now, countries that have ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC are obliged to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they arrive. 137 countries have signed the Rome Statute, and 123 have ratified it.
Ukraine also ratified the Rome Statute in 2024. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the relevant law on August 24.
Read more about what the ICC warrant means and whether the Israeli prime minister can be arrested in RBC-Ukraine's article.
