The US has hosted Yoav Gallant – former Israeli Minister of Military Affairs, despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity targeting Palestinians.

During his visit, Gallant met with Brett McGurk, President Joe Biden’s envoy for West Asia, at the White House on December 10, 2024. Gallant shared photos of the meeting, showcasing the two shaking hands warmly.

Protests outside hotel in New York City

Gallant noted that this meeting was part of a series of engagements planned in Washington, D.C. One such event, with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, was canceled due to protests outside his hotel in New York City the previous week.

The ICC issued arrest warrants last month for both Gallant and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The charges include war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, where the Israeli military has been accused of waging a genocidal campaign since October, using starvation as a weapon of war.

The ICC’s verdict stated that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Gallant and Netanyahu deliberately deprived Gaza’s population of essential resources, such as food and water, aiming to destroy living conditions in the region. These acts were deemed crimes against humanity.

While several ICC member states, including Ireland, Spain, and the Netherlands, have pledged to enforce the warrants, the United States—Israel’s primary ally—has rejected the court’s authority. Washington has questioned the tribunal’s legitimacy and resisted the implementation of the warrants.

International Criminal Court ruling

The ICC reported facing threats, coercion, and acts of sabotage following the issuance of the arrest warrants. U.S. officials have threatened sanctions against ICC personnel, with some lawmakers even suggesting military action against The Hague.

Despite opposing ICC measures targeting Israeli officials, the U.S. has pursued its own war crimes charges against Syrian figures. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reiterated Washington’s objection to the ICC cases against Israeli leaders but expressed support for a separate ICC case against Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad. This apparent double standard prompted laughter from reporters during a press briefing.