ICC Decision On Israel Could Jeopardize Ceasefire Deal - Blinken

US President Joe Biden and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken have criticised today's announcement that ICC prosecutors are pursuing arrest warrants against leaders from Israel - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant - and leaders of Hamas - Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, and Mohammed Deif - for alleged crimes during in the war in Gaza and the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

• Biden said in a statement: “The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous. And let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”
• Blinken said in a statement that the US, "rejects" the ICC announcement and said the equivalence of Israel with Hamas is "shameful." Adds that an ICC decision in favour of the prosecution could "jeopardize efforts on a hostage deal/ceasefire in Gaza."
• Blinken also notes that the, "ICC Prosecutor [Karim Khan] himself was scheduled to visit Israel as early as next week to discuss the investigation and hear from the Israeli Government," however the prosecutor failed to attend scheduled meetings and, "went on cable television to announce the charges." Blinken says: "These and other circumstances call into question the legitimacy and credibility of this investigation."
• Barak Ravid at Axios notes: "A panel of judges will now examine Khan's request and decide whether to issue the warrants." More on the warrant discussed in previous bullet here.