US Vice President Kamala Harris Tells Netanyahu That US Opposes ICC Probe of Israel - FARS

(FNA)- The US adminstration, in brazen contempt for the international law, reaffirmed its opposition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) probe into the Israeli regime’s war crimes in the occupied territories.

In a phone call with Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, US Vice President Kamala Harris underscored Washington’s support for the Tel Aviv regime, opposing the ICC’s “attempts to exercise its jurisdiction over Israeli personnel”, the White House said in a statement, presstv reported.

Harris, the statement noted, “emphasized the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security”, while resisting any move to expose the regime’s genocidal project in the occupied territories.

The first call between the two officials came a day after the ICC prosecutor said her office will formally launch a probe into Israeli war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The annoucement follows a February 5 ruling by the international court claiming jurisdiction in the case.

“Today, I confirm the initiation by the office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court of an investigation respecting the situation in Palestine,” Prosecutor Fatou  Bensouda said in a statement, adding it will specifically look at allegations since June 13, 2014.

She said the decision followed a “painstaking preliminary examination” by her office that took around five years, while promising a “principled, non-partisan, approach”.

“In the end, our central concern must be for the victims of crimes, both Palestinian and Israeli, arising from the long cycle of violence and insecurity that has caused deep suffering and despair on all sides,” she added.

The move, while welcomed by the Palestinian resistance groups, prompted strong reactions from Washington and Tel Aviv.

In a first reaction on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington “firmly opposes and is deeply disappointed” by the ICC decision.

“Israel is not a party to the ICC and has not consented to the Court’s jurisdiction, and we have serious concerns about the ICC’s attempts to exercise its jurisdiction over Israeli personnel,” he said in a statement.