Washington, DC [US], May 24 : US Senator Bernie Sanders has expressed his support for the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants against Israeli and Hamas leaders and said that it is imperative that international law be upheld by the global community.
This comes after ICC chief prosecutor Karim AA Khan announced the filing of arrest warrant applications against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant alongside Hamas's three top leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh, for allegedly committing "crimes against humanity" during Israel's seven-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza.
"In the last several years, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for political leaders who violate international law and engage in war crimes and crimes against humanity," Bernie Sanders said in a statement on Friday.
"That includes Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose illegal invasion of Ukraine initiated the most destructive war in Europe since World War II; Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who started the horrific war in Gaza by launching a terrorist attack against Israel, which killed 1,200 innocent men, women, and children; and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, in response, has waged an unprecedented war of destruction against the entire Palestinian people, which has killed or injured over 5 per cent of the population," he added.
The Democratic leader further said that without these "standards of decency and morality", the planet may rapidly descend into "anarchy, never-ending wars, and barbarism."
"The ICC prosecutor is right to take these actions. These arrest warrants may or may not be carried out, but it is imperative that the global community uphold international law. Without these standards of decency and morality, this planet may rapidly descend into anarchy, never-ending wars, and barbarism," Sanders stated.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden termed the ICC prosecutor's application for arrest warrants as "outrageous" stating that the US "will always stand with Israel against threats to its security."
Biden said that what is happening in Gaza is not genocide and reiterated his support for Israel.
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