This threat looms over the ICC's continued efforts to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, which Thune has vehemently denounced as "outrageous and unlawful". The controversy stems from the ICC's pursuit of accountability for actions taken during the war in Gaza.

Thune is urging the current Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer, to present the sanctions legislation to the Senate floor for a vote.

This legislation, already passed by the House of Representatives in June, targets the Hague-based Court and its officials, including Prosecutor Karim Khan, for their attempts to secure arrest warrants against Israeli figures.

These warrants, sought by Khan in May, accuse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The unfolding situation pits the US's stance against the ICC's jurisdictional claims, contradicting a 2021 decision by the Court affirming its authority.

As Thune prepares to assume leadership of the Senate chamber in January, the international community watches closely, anticipating the potential ramifications of this legislative confrontation.

--SABC--