Biden Calls ICC's Arrest Warrants for Israeli Leaders 'Outrageous'

Washington D.C., Thursday - US President Joe Biden lashed out at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over its decision to issue arrest warrants against top Israeli leaders, accusing it of having "no credibility".

In a statement released on Thursday, Biden described the ICC's move as "outrageous" and reiterated the United States' rejection of the court's jurisdiction. The President also made it clear that Washington stands firmly with Israel against any threats to its security.

"We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security," said Biden. "Whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence -- none -- between Israel and Hamas."

Biden's statement follows an earlier one from the White House, which described the calls for arrests as "fundamentally rejected". The spokesperson claimed that the United States has always maintained that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over this matter.

Criticism of the ICC's decision also came from Mike Waltz, Donald Trump's incoming national security advisor. In a social media post, Waltz condemned the ICC's alleged antisemitic bias and expressed his determination to take action against what he saw as its attempts to unfairly target Israel.

Meanwhile, several Republicans have called for the US Senate to sanction the ICC in response to its move.

A note on the ICC arrest warrants states that the court believes Netanyahu and Gallant are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed from October 8, 2023 to May 20, 2024. However, Israel has refused to comply with these charges.

For its part, Hamas claims Mohammed Deif, who was allegedly issued an arrest warrant by IC but died in a Gaza air strike, is not dead.