State Dept. Spox: ‘The United States Fundamentally Rejects the Announcement Today from the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court’

MILLER I m gonna ░░░░░░░░ with some comments on ░░░░░░░░ announcement from the prosecutor ░░░░░░░░ the ICC today As ░░░░░░░░ secretary said in a ░░░░░░░░ a short time ago ░░░░░░░░ United States fundamentally rejects ░░░░░░░░ announcement today from the ░░░░░░░░ of the International Criminal ░░░░░░░░ that he is applying ░░░░░░░░ arrest warrants for senior ░░░░░░░░ officials together with warrants ░░░░░░░░ Hamas terrorists There should ░░░░░░░░ no equivalence between Israel ░░░░░░░░ Hamas None Hamas is ░░░░░░░░ brutal terrorist organization that ░░░░░░░░ out the worst massacre ░░░░░░░░ Jews since the Holocaust ░░░░░░░░ is still holding dozens ░░░░░░░░ innocent people hostage including ░░░░░░░░ Furthermore the United States ░░░░░░░░ been clear since well ░░░░░░░░ the current conflict that ░░░░░░░░ ICC has no jurisdiction ░░░░░░░░ this matter The ICC ░░░░░░░░ established by its state ░░░░░░░░ as a court of ░░░░░░░░ jurisdiction These limits are ░░░░░░░░ in principles of complementarity ░░░░░░░░ do not appear to ░░░░░░░░ been applied here amid ░░░░░░░░ prosecutor s rush to ░░░░░░░░ these arrest warrants rather ░░░░░░░░ allowing the Israeli legal ░░░░░░░░ a full and timely ░░░░░░░░ for to proceed In ░░░░░░░░ situations the prosecutors deferred ░░░░░░░░ national investigations and worked ░░░░░░░░ states to allow them ░░░░░░░░ to investigate The prosecutor ░░░░░░░░ not afford the same ░░░░░░░░ to Israel in this ░░░░░░░░ which has ongoing investigations ░░░░░░░░ allegations against its personnel ░░░░░░░░ are also deeply troubling ░░░░░░░░ questions Despite not being ░░░░░░░░ member of the court ░░░░░░░░ was prepared to cooperate ░░░░░░░░ the prosecutor and had ░░░░░░░░ that clear In fact ░░░░░░░░ prosecutor himself was scheduled ░░░░░░░░ visit Israel as early ░░░░░░░░ next week to discuss ░░░░░░░░ investigation and hear from ░░░░░░░░ Israeli government The prosecutor ░░░░░░░░ staff was supposed to ░░░░░░░░ in Israel today to ░░░░░░░░ the visit and instead ░░░░░░░░ was informed that the ░░░░░░░░ s staff didn t ░░░░░░░░ on their flight around ░░░░░░░░ same time that the ░░░░░░░░ himself went on television ░░░░░░░░ announce these charges These ░░░░░░░░ call into question the ░░░░░░░░ and credibility of this ░░░░░░░░ Finally this decision does ░░░░░░░░ to help and could ░░░░░░░░ ongoing efforts to reach ░░░░░░░░ ceasefire agreement that would ░░░░░░░░ hostages out of Gaza ░░░░░░░░ surge humanitarian assistance in ░░░░░░░░ are the goals that ░░░░░░░░ United States is pursuing ░░░░░░░░ will continue to pursue ░░░░░░░░ these actions by the ░░░░░░░░ prosecutor With that Matt ░░░░░░░░ That s it Nothing ░░░░░░░░ MILLER That s it ░░░░░░░░ Okay All right Well ░░░░░░░░ s start with that ░░░░░░░░ you started with that ░░░░░░░░ very briefly you said ░░░░░░░░ actions the announcement on ░░░░░░░░ and cancellation of flights ░░░░░░░░ the staff call into ░░░░░░░░ the legitimacy and the ░░░░░░░░ of the investigation Do ░░░░░░░░ call those into question ░░░░░░░░ the entire court MILLER ░░░░░░░░ re just referring to ░░░░░░░░ actions the prosecutor has ░░░░░░░░ today The entire court ░░░░░░░░ t acted The prosecutor ░░░░░░░░ taken this initial action ░░░░░░░░ re gonna see what ░░░░░░░░ next step is But ░░░░░░░░ it calls into question ░░░░░░░░ investigation that he has ░░░░░░░░ and the action he ░░░░░░░░ taken When you see ░░░░░░░░ short circuit a process ░░░░░░░░ was underway to gather ░░░░░░░░ which is what you ░░░░░░░░ any prosecutor any investigator ░░░░░░░░ do when they re ░░░░░░░░ pursuing such a case ░░░░░░░░ Okay And so are ░░░░░░░░ gonna do anything about ░░░░░░░░ or are you gonna ░░░░░░░░ until the judges actually ░░░░░░░░ approve or deny the ░░░░░░░░ MILLER I don t ░░░░░░░░ any announcements to make ░░░░░░░░ Obviously we made clear ░░░░░░░░ we reject this action ░░░░░░░░ the prosecutor reviewing his ░░░░░░░░ statement and I don ░░░░░░░░ have anything further to ░░░░░░░░ Lee Okay And then ░░░░░░░░ I ll let someone ░░░░░░░░ go.”