U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who testified earlier than Congress amid protests on Tuesday, claimed {that a} cease-fire in Gaza was nonetheless potential, however the current arrest order by the World Court was allegedly hindering diplomatic efforts.
Testifying earlier than Congress, Blinken was repeatedly disrupted by protesters vital of U.S. complicity in Israel’s ongoing battle crimes in Gaza, the place over 35,000 Palestinians had been killed. Several had been evicted after shouting that he was a “war criminal,” however protesters – many exhibiting symbolically reddened fingers – had been later allowed to sit down silently behind him.
Blinken credited Qatar and Egypt with aiding the “extensive effort” to safe a brief cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in return for the discharge of hostages.
But CIA Director Bill Burns, the U.S. level man within the talks, left the area empty-handed some 10 days in the past.
“I think we’ve come very, very close on a couple of occasions,” Blinken informed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee within the first of 4 appearances earlier than Congress deliberate by Wednesday.
“We remain at it every single day. I think that there’s still a possibility,” Blinken mentioned.
“But it’s challenged by a number of events and I have to say, yes the extremely wrongheaded decision by the ICC prosecutor yesterday – the shameful equivalence implied between Hamas and the leadership of Israel – I think that only complicates the prospects for getting such an agreement,” Blinken mentioned.
Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, on Monday mentioned he had utilized for arrest warrants towards Israeli leaders together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in addition to Hamas chiefs.
President Joe Biden known as the transfer “outrageous” for placing collectively Hamas, which attacked Israel on Oct. 7, and Israel, which is accused of finishing up a genocide in Gaza.
Republican lawmakers urged Biden to take motion towards the ICC. Previous president Donald Trump imposed sanctions on an earlier prosecutor, a step reversed by Biden after he took workplace.
Senator Lindsey Graham pointed to a earlier probe by the ICC, of which the United States is just not a member, into U.S. army actions in Afghanistan.
“If they’ll do this to Israel, where next?” Graham mentioned.
Blinken didn’t decide to sanctions, saying repeatedly that the Biden administration was an “appropriate response” to the ICC.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier mentioned that the United States would preserve cooperating with the ICC on a separate probe into alleged battle crimes by Russia in Ukraine.
Israel’s assaults in Gaza killed a minimum of 35,647 folks, additionally principally civilians.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
