Netanyahu Praises Trump's Idea for Gaza; Trump's Executive Order on the Hague

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who traveled to Washington, emphasized the importance of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal regarding Gaza during his meetings with senior U.S. officials. He stated that congressional leaders agree that Iran should not acquire nuclear weapons. In a video message released on Thursday evening, February 7, Netanyahu said Trump's proposal about Gaza, concerning the future after Hamas, deserves careful consideration. Trump has suggested that Palestinians from Gaza be relocated to neighboring countries and that Gaza could become one of the 'most attractive places on earth.' These comments have elicited negative reactions from various countries and the United Nations. Netanyahu also mentioned his good discussions with leaders from both the Republican and Democratic parties in Congress, stating they all agreed on two points: Iran must not have nuclear weapons, and Hamas must be eliminated from Gaza. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Trump's proposal, stating that Trump is trying to create a movement among regional countries to participate in the reconstruction of Gaza. Rubio noted that many countries express concern for Gaza and the Palestinians, but very few have shown a willingness to take concrete action in the past. He hopes that some countries with economic and technological capacity will respond to Trump's proposal. On the same day, Trump signed an executive order imposing restrictions on certain members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which he described as engaging in 'illegal and baseless actions targeting the U.S. and our close ally Israel.' The White House has yet to release the text of this executive order and the list of individuals affected. The order imposes financial and visa restrictions on ICC members involved in investigations against U.S. citizens and their allies, as well as their families. The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as a commander of the extremist group Hamas. Following this, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impose sanctions on the ICC, but the bill did not pass in the Senate. The United States is not a member of the ICC and has consistently rejected the court's jurisdiction over matters involving its officials or citizens. Trump has previously criticized the ICC and taken actions to sanction it. The ICC has not yet responded to Trump's executive order, but Reuters recently reported that the court is preemptively paying salaries to counter potential U.S. sanctions.