Human Rights Group Urges ICC to Investigate Biden and Trump Over Gaza War Crimes

By Staff, Agencies

A US-based human rights organization, Democracy for the Arab World Now [DAWN], has called on the International Criminal Court [ICC] to investigate President Joe Biden for "aiding and abetting" war crimes in Gaza and former President Donald Trump for "obstructing justice."

DAWN submitted a 172-page request to ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan on January 19, seeking an investigation into Biden, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and former War Secretary Lloyd Austin for their roles in facilitating “Israeli” war crimes in Gaza.

The group highlighted the substantial US military aid provided to “Israel”—amounting to $17.9 billion from October 2023 to October 2024—during which "Israel" waged a violent campaign against Gaza.

This support, DAWN argues, constitutes deliberate complicity in "Israeli" war crimes, including bombings of civilian targets such as hospitals and schools.

The rights group emphasized that US officials were fully aware of the situation in Gaza, with mounting evidence of civilian casualties, but chose to provide continued support to the "Israeli" military.

Reed Brody, a war crimes expert and DAWN board member, stated, "The bombs dropped on Palestinian hospitals, schools, and homes are American bombs."

In addition, DAWN’s statement focused on Trump’s executive order imposing sanctions on ICC officials investigating "Israeli" officials. The rights group warned that these sanctions could lead to criminal charges against Trump for obstruction of justice under the Rome Statute.

Furthermore, it noted Trump’s proposal to forcibly relocate over 2 million Palestinians from Gaza, which could lead to criminal liability for war crimes and crimes of aggression.

DAWN’s advocacy director, Raed Jarrar, criticized Trump’s actions, saying they amounted to an attempt to prevent accountability for "Israeli" crimes. He called for the ICC to investigate Trump for his role in promoting the forcible transfer of Palestinians, a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute.

Since October 2023, "Israel’s" military operations in Gaza have claimed the lives of over 48,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, with many others wounded and trapped under rubble. The toll continues to rise as rescue efforts struggle to reach affected areas.