'Israel' warns US it will punish PA if ICC issues arrest warrants
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Two US officials reveal that the Biden administration told ICC officials privately that it would be a mistake to arrest Israeli leaders.
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International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks during a press conference in Bogota, Colombia, on Apr. 25, 2024. (AFP)
Axios has reported that the Israeli government has told the Biden administration that if the International Criminal Court (ICC) issues arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, it would retaliate against the Palestinian Authority, perhaps leading to its collapse, according to two Israeli and US sources.
Israeli authorities have become more anxious in recent weeks since reportedly the names of Netanyahu, Security Minister Yoav Gallant, and Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi have been circled as suspects of war crimes that the ICC will look to prosecute.
The ICC has been looking into war crimes committed back in 2014 in the Gaza Strip, however, it has produced no punitive decisions against individuals. The inquiry has been expanded to include the events of October 7, as well as the current war on Gaza.
Over the last several weeks, "Israel" has informed the US that it has intelligence indicating that Palestinian Authority officials are pressuring the ICC prosecutor to obtain arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, according to two Israeli officials.
One possible "punishment" being mulled by the occupation is the halting of tax funds collected by "Israel" for the PA, pushing it to bankruptcy.
A senior Israeli source told Axios that the possibility of ICC arrest warrants is genuine and that if such a situation occurs, the Israeli government will most certainly make an official decision to punish the Palestinian Authority, perhaps leading to its collapse.
PA and Israeli officials did not respond to Axios.
According to Axios, Netanyahu expressed his concern regarding increasing reports on the possibility of the issuance of the arrest warrants, during a phone call with Biden regarding regional developments and the prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian Resistance.
Two US officials expressed that the Biden administration told ICC officials privately that it would be a mistake to arrest Israeli leaders, with one official stating, "We are quietly encouraging the ICC no to do it. It will blow up everything. Israel will retaliate against the Palestinian Authority."
The insider noted that while the ICC prosecutor is under pressure to issue such arrest warrants, the Biden administration does not believe the action is as imminent as "Israel" believes.
Congress threatens US retaliation if ICC issues Israeli arrests: Axios
Earlier, Axios reported that members of Congress have warned the International Criminal Court that arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials will result in US retaliation, and legislation for it is already in the making.
It cited two Israeli officials as saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked US President Joe Biden to prevent the ICC from issuing arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials responsible for war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council declined to comment on the contents of Netanyahu's call with Biden but told Axios, "As we have publicly said many times, the ICC has no jurisdiction in this situation and we do not support its investigation."
At the same time, House Speaker Mike Johnson called the reported warrants "disgraceful" and "lawless".
Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, said in March that "Israel's" crimes in Gaza for nearly six months could keep the International Criminal Court (ICC) busy for the next 50 years.
Albanese declared that "Israel" is violating orders issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to immediately protect Palestinians’ rights and cease all activities amounting to genocide, following the case brought forth by
Customary international law has become a mere option for both "Israel" and the United States.
The occupation has targeted not only medical personnel and journalists but also hospitals housing hundreds and thousands of displaced Palestinians. All three are protected under international law and Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Convention.
"Israel" has also cut off food, fuel, water, and electricity to Gaza, a clear ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people, and has also used starvation as a method of war, violating Additional Protocol I.
