U.S. President Rejects ICC's Jurisdiction Over Israeli Officials

On Thursday, May 25, U.S. President Joe Biden reacted to the International Criminal Court's accusations against Israeli officials, emphasizing that the U.S. does not recognize the court's jurisdiction. During a joint press conference with Kenyan President William Ruto at the White House, Biden stated, "We have made our position clear regarding the International Criminal Court. It's very simple; we do not recognize their jurisdiction. In our view, there is no similarity between what Israel did and what Hamas has done." On May 20, Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant of committing "intentional attacks against civilian populations" and using "starvation of civilians" as a tactic of war in Gaza. He also called for the arrest of Netanyahu and Galant and sought prosecution of Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas's Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and Ismail Haniyeh for the group's attack on Israel on October 6, 2023. Karim Khan has accused Netanyahu, Galant, Sinwar, Haniyeh, and Deif of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Israeli and U.S. governments have strongly condemned this action. This ruling is not final or enforceable and requires a decision from a panel of three judges, which typically takes several months. Israel's attack on the Gaza Strip is a response to Hamas's terrorist attack on October 6 of the previous year, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people. Fighters from this Palestinian group also took over 250 hostages. Health officials in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, claim that over 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip over the past nine months. Israeli officials question the accuracy of these figures, stating that Hamas uses civilians as a defensive shield in the war. The Israeli army's advance in Rafah; Palestinians claim a hospital was directly targeted. Special program: The hard landing of Ayatollah Execution. The United Nations resumed aid to Gaza through the American dock. Meeting of the IRGC and proxies on the sidelines of Raisi's ceremony; absence of three former presidents at the funeral prayer. Strong criticism from Israel regarding the UN's tribute to Raisi: he was the 'Butcher of Tehran.'