US President Donald Trump said that Israel was "really pleased" with the agreement reached by his Peace Council to completely disarm the Palestinian movement "Hamas" and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
“We have an understanding with Israel. Israel is very happy with it. Israel helped us. They have been very good“, Trump said. “Will there be ups and downs? The situation there is very complicated“, he added, referring to the agreement.
Trump called the agreement a big breakthrough, noting that no one thought it would be possible to disarm the “Hamas“. “This is a big step for the Middle East and people are really impressed by it and surprised“, the US president added. Yesterday, Trump called the deal an important milestone in implementing his 20-point plan to end Israel's war in Gaza.
The president also said that “the deal will be implemented in phases“, with Israeli forces withdrawing as disarmament progresses, and the International Stabilization Force working with a new Palestinian police force to provide security for the enclave.
At the same time, Trump said that US efforts to disband the International Criminal Court are aimed not at protecting him from prosecution, but at figures such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He added that there is no indication that the court intends to prosecute him, reported Reuters.
“There is no information that I am being prosecuted. It could happen, but you know, ... he (US Secretary of State Marco Rubio) is not trying to protect me. He is trying to protect Bibi and various other people“, Trump said, using the pet name of Benjamin Netanyahu. “There are a lot of people who should not be looked at that way. But there is no indication that I am one of them at this time“, the president said during a cabinet meeting at Camp David, Maryland.
Rubio earlier said that five countries had announced their intention to withdraw from the judicial institution after the United States launched a campaign earlier this month against what he described as a threat to American sovereignty. The US secretary of state noted that the people most at risk were US service members, who he said could be prosecuted years later for “their actions in war“.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. It claims jurisdiction only if a member state is unable or unwilling to prosecute atrocities on its own. The United States has never been a member of the court. However, the ICC statute gives the court the power to prosecute atrocities committed on the territory of member states by citizens of non-member states.
Trump’s opposition to the court dates back to his first term. It has resurfaced with a plan to punish ICC officials, an idea developed after the court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.