The U.S. House of Representatives, led by Republicans, has approved a bill aimed at imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) following its pursuit of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and others.
The bill passed with a 247-155 vote saw 42 Democrats supporting the Republicans. No Republicans opposed the measure, although two chose to vote "present."
"The ICC has to be punished for this action," House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Tuesday. "We cannot allow this to stand."
The legislation was introduced by Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas and was co-sponsored by more than 70 Republicans.
Despite its approval in the House, the legislation is unlikely to become law, according to Reuters. The Senate, controlled narrowly by Democrats, is not expected to bring the bill to a vote.
If enacted, the legislation would sanction individuals involved in ICC prosecutions of U.S. citizens or citizens of America's non-ICC member allies, such as Israel.
It would also prevent these ICC officials from entering the U.S., revoke their American visas, and restrict their power to undertake property transactions in the country.
Last month, the White House expressed disapproval of the ICC's decision to seek warrants against Israeli officials in connection with the Gaza conflict.
But the White House said Monday that it would not support the legislation that imposes sanctions on the court, saying it is excessively broad. It added that the proposed legislation could lead to sanctions against various court-related individuals and entities.
"This legislation could require sanctions against court staff, judges, witnesses, and U.S. allies and partners who provide even limited, targeted support to the court in a range of aspects of its work," the White House said.
Despite its strong opposition, the White House did not explicitly threaten a veto should the measure reach the president's desk.
The legislation comes after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Israeli Prime Minister, his defense chief, and three Hamas leaders are criminally responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Netanyahu dismissed the prosecutor's decision as absurd, claiming it was an attempt to target the entire nation of Israel.
