WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement after the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced he would seek arrest warrants from the court for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in relation to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip:
"I strongly condemn this move by the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to apply for arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant. The ICC is meant to be a court of last resort only; not only does the ICC not have jurisdiction to prosecute these cases against Israeli officials, Israel has an independent judiciary and the ability to hold its own officials accountable that render the Prosecutor’s decision inappropriate. While I do not agree with every step the IDF has taken in its war against Hamas, the ICC Prosecutor should focus on fulfilling the ICC’s mandate where it exercises legitimate jurisdiction and is needed to deliver accountability. I have long supported the ICC, including in its investigation of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, and I hope to continue working with it if it returns to its legitimate role.”
Senator Coons is Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.