Incoming Senate Majority Leader Threatens ICC With Sanctions Unless Netanyahu Arrest Warrant is Withdrawn

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The incoming Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune threatened Sunday to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) unless it drops the arrest warrant it issued against Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes committed after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel triggered the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Following the November 5 election, Thune was chosen to lead the Senate once President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.
The arrest warrant for Netanyahu was issued on May 20 by ICC Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan KC. Khan issued similar warrants for the late Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leaders who orchestrated the October 7 massacre in which around 1,200 mostly civilian Israelis of all ages were murdered and around 250 more were kidnapped to Gaza. Haniyeh and Sinwar were killed by the Israel Defense Forces on July 31 and October 16, 2024, respectively, but the warrant against Netanyahu remains.

In the arrest warrants, Khan accused Haniyeh and Sinwar of, among other things: Extermination as a crime against humanity, Taking hostages as a war crime, Rape, and other acts of sexual violence as crimes against humanity.

Netanyahu is accused, among other things, of: Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as a war crime, Wilful killing, Extermination and/or murder contrary as a crime against humanity.

Warning that he will sanction the ICC if the warrant against Netanyahu is not withdrawn, Thune said: “If the ICC and its prosecutor do not reverse their outrageous and unlawful actions to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli officials, the Senate should immediately pass sanctions legislation, as the House has already done on a bipartisan basis. If Majority Leader Schumer does not act, the Senate Republican majority will stand with our key ally Israel and make this – and other supportive legislation – a top priority in the next Congress,” Thune attested.

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