Israel has urged "nations of the civilised world" to oppose the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor's request for arrest warrants against its leaders, and to declare they would ignore the warrants.
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, who along with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was named in yesterday's announcement at The Hague, called it a "disgraceful" bid to interfere in Israel's more than seven-month-old Gaza war against Hamas.
Israel's anger is echoed in Washington, which condemned the impression of equivalence given by the fact that the prosecutor, Karim Khan, simultaneously sought warrants against leaders of the Palestinian Islamist group.
"We call on the nations of the civilised, free world - nations who despise terrorists and anyone who supports them - to stand by Israel. You should outright condemn this step," government spokesperson Tal Heinrich said.
"Make sure the ICC understands where you stand. Oppose the prosecutor's decision and declare that, even if warrants are issued, you do not intend to enforce them. Because this is not about our leaders. It's about our survival," he said.
In a post on X, Mr Gallant said: "The attempt by Prosecutor Karim Khan to deny the State of Israel the right to self-defence and to free its hostages must be rejected out of hand."
Hamas holds around 125 hostages seized during its cross-border rampage on 7 October, which killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, and triggered the war. Gaza medical officials say more than 35,000 have been killed during the Israeli offensive.
Mr Khan said yesterday that Israel did have the right to defend its population but added: "That right, however, does not absolve Israel or any state of its obligation to comply with international humanitarian law."
He said that, whateverIsrael's military goals in Gaza, the prosecution believedits methods - "namely, intentionally causing death, starvation, great suffering, and serious injury to body or health of the civilian population" - were criminal.
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The US ambassador to Israel Jack Lew said there was no comparing "actions taken by a democratic government here with the behaviour of a terrorist organisation that is fighting in a way that has created these conditions".
"I don't think that a day has gone by that I haven't worked with either the prime minister or the defence minister or somebody in their immediate circle on how you get humanitarian assistance to starving people," he added,speaking at a conference.
Asked if Mr Netanyahu or Mr Gallant would avoid travelling to ICC-signatory countries if arrest warrants were issued, Mr Heinrich said: "Let's wait and see."
Germany agreed, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying the warrants gave "a false impression of equivalence".
Mr Biden also rejected accusations in a separate tribunal, the UN International Court of Justice, where South Africa has alleged that Israel's war in Gaza is genocidal.
"What's happening is not genocide," Mr Biden told a Jewish American Heritage Month event at the White House.
South Africa welcomed the move at the ICC, while France said it supported the court's independence "and the fight against impunity in all situations".
Asked today about the decision, Beijing said there was "an overwhelming consensus in the international community to immediately stop the war in Gaza and put an end to the humanitarian crisis of the Palestinian people".
"It is hoped that the ICC will uphold its objective and impartial position and exercise its powers in accordance with the law," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
