difficult and, you know, never bribe them. it never works. thank you. [applause] >> many of us have been in israel fewonths as have you and you know many of the signs there said [speaking hebrew] which means together -- together prevail. and i think that together with and your evangelical communy that's why call thisgr "we are not alone." thank you for that. thank you for your friendship. [applause] this concludes our program here for thiser we'll be resuming at 7:00 at the st. gregory hot floor where we will have dumasati washington speaking to us ae will be resuming

tomorrow morning as well. [captions copyright national cablllite corp. 2024] national captioning institute, which is rible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org >> an update now. according to "the washington post international criminal courts chief prosecutor is seeking arrest warran against the leaders of israel and hamas on charges of war crimes andagainst humanity.>> today, i'm filing applications of warrants of ar b pretrial chamber one of the international criminal court in theuation in the state of palestine. independent investigations conducted by my officender the direction of the two trial lawyers standing behind me

today. brenda j. hollis, who in addition to leading our work of the si of ukraine in the past couple of years has since january taken over leadership of the palestine investigation. and andrew kaley, king counsel, who more recently joined the office and will be leading our work on the situation in the state of palestine going forward. >> on the basis of evidence collected by my office i have reasonable grounds to believe that three senior leaders of hamas bear criminal responsibility for the following international crimes committed on the state of palestine from at least the 7th of october, 2023.

extermination as a crime against humanity. murder as a crime against humanity and as a war crime. the taken of hostages as a war crime. rape and other acts of sexual violenceg caivity as crimes against humanity and war crimes. torture during captivity as a crime against humanity and a war e. inhumane acts during captivity as a crime against humanity. cruel treatment during captivity a war crime. and outrageous upon dignity during captivity as a war crime. these crimes were committed in the context of the ongoing armed conflict detailed in the widespread and systematic attack ag civilian population

of israel, by hamas, and other armed groups. my offe smits that there are reasonable grounds to believe that these hamas leaders are criminally responsible for the killing of israeli civilians and attacks perpetrated by hamas and other armro the 7th of october, 2023. the ng of hostages and the other crimes alleged in our applications. my office has diligentlyllected interviewed survivors and eyewitnesss at the scene of at least sixttac locations. thecatis arrive on evidence such as cctv footage aueuthted audio, photographs, and video material, expert evidence, and statements by hamas and the members of other armed groups, including by the alleged perpetrators

themselves. sinwa, dif, and hania not only planned instigated the crimes submit committed on 7th of october, they acknowledged their responsibility through their own words and by r they are charged both as co-perpetrators and as superiors. my o submits today that there are reasonable grounds to believe tt hostages, taken from israel, taken from their homes, from their communities, have been kept in inhumane conditions and that some have been subjected to violence, including rape, while be held in captivity. we have reached that conclusion based upon medical records, contemporaneous video and documentary evidence and interviews with survivors. we are continuing our

investigatio 7th of october, including investigating further reports of sexual violence, and i repeat, and underline my call for the immediate release of al for their immediate safe return to their families. this is a fundamental imperative is a fundamental imperative demanded by good conscience, morality, andhumanitarian law. the hostages must be released immediately.i can confirm todaye reasonable grounds to believe on the basis of evidence and examined by israeli prime minister bennett you meant yahoo! -- benjamin netanyahu and minister of defense yoav gallant bear criminal responsibility for the

owional crimes committed on the territory of the state of para -- of palestine from at least the eighth october 2023. de srvation of civilians as a method of warfare , willfully causing great suffering. serious injury to body or health or cruel treatment. willful killing or murder. and, intentionally directing attaainst a civilian population. as well as crimes against of extermination and/or murder, persecution, and allegations of crimes of tingther inhuman acts. it is a legend these crimes were committed in the context of the ongoing armed conflict and thus, part of the widespread, systematic attack against the civilian population of gaza pursuant to state poliunfortunas

e submits that these plan, have systematically deprived the c population of gaza of objects indispensable to human survival. we reached that conclusion based on interviews with survivors, eyewitnesses,xperts, from satellite imagery. statements from israeli officials.including the two indt applicationas well as based upol hundred authenticated videos, phphs,nd audio recordings. many of which were taken and shared by victims and eyewitnesses themselves. this systematic deprivation resulted from an to impose a total siege on gaza by

completely closing the three border crossing pointsah shalomd periods of time restricting the transportation of essential supplies including food and medicine through the boarding crossings -- border crossings after they were reopened, to the totallso involving cutting offr war pipelines from israel to gaza, which is t p water for the popun in gaza. it was cut off for prolonged periods beginningof october, 20. it was accompanied by the cutting off or hindering of electricity supplies to gaza from the eighth october 2023 until today. conduct took place alongsideacks that killed civilians.

including people queuiorfood. the obstruction of aid delivery by humanitarian organizations, and attacks on aid workers that forced many of those same humanitarian o either cease operations, or ffor in gaza. the tragic effect of the use of starvation as a method of warfare against gaza's civilian population is acute, visible, and widely known. it has been confirmed by multiple witnesses and victims including local and foreign medil rvion is caused and continues to cause deaths malnutrition, dehydration, and profound suffering among the polaon is already present in -- famine is already president --

present some areas of gaza and imminent in others. mys benjamin netanyahu and yoav gallant as co-perpetrators in the commission alleged crimes. israel, like all states, has the right to defend it has every right to ensure the return of hostages that have been criminally taken. those rights don't absolve israel of its obligations to comply with international humanitarian law. ionally causing death, starvation, injury, and suffering toivian population including so very many women and children are criminal means to achieve military and political goals. that is what we allege. underlined, since last year, in egypt, in israel, and in palestine command again this year -- palestine,

years -- this year those that don't comply with the should not complain later when my office takes action based upon solid evidence. that day has come. today, we underlined, in the clearest possible fashion, that international law and the laws of armed conflict apply to yone. no foot soldier, no commander, no civilian leader, no one can act with impunity. nothing on earth can justify willfully depriving huma beings, including women and children, babies, the old and the young, of the ba necessities required for life. nothing on earth. hostagetaking or the targeting and killing of civilians.

the independent judges of this internatl court are the sole arbiters as to whether the ne standard for the issuance of warrants of arrests have bt. the judges of the international criminal court must be now given the space to do their work. and, to dispassionately and ctively review the evidence we have submitted. should the learned judges approve my applications issue the requested warrants, i the registrar of the port to apprehend the named individuals. i call upon and count on all states, especially state parties to their own statute, to approve the■caons and the subsequent judicial decision that will beth the same seriousness they have shown in othuations.

i also stand ready to work with nonstate parties in our common pursuit of justice and accotability. it is critical, in this moment, that my office, parts of the court, continue to conduct our work full independence and impartiality. i insist that all attempts to impede, intimidate, or improperly influence the officials of this court cease immediately. my office will not hesitate to act pursuant to the provisions of article 70 of the rome statute. if such conduct continues, and persistswe will applications for warns of arrests, if and when we te, after independent and objective analysis, that the threshold of realistic prospect

of conviction has -- prospective conviction has been met. my office is advancing multiple, interconnected additional lines of inquiry including concerning reports of sexual violence dung the seventh of october attacks in israel and in relation■q to the large-scale bombing that has caused and continues to cause so many much suffering in gaza. i renew my call for all parties to the current conflict to comply with these basic principles of law without any further delay. i wish to emphasize that the principle of complementarity, a ntinue to be assessed by my office as we takerelation to ths and alleged perpetrators. as we move forward with other lines of inquiry.

complementarity requires us to defer to national authoritiesone ende and impartial judicial processes that do not shield suspects from accountability, and which are not a sham.it requires thorough investigations at all levels, addressing the policies and actions underlined these applications. today, i wish to underline one message very clearly. it is my strong if we do not demonstrate our willingness to comply with the ply e law equally it seen as bd selectively, we will the conditions for its complete collapse. and in doing so, we would be loosening the remaining bonds that hold us together, the stabilizing connections between all communities, all individuals

victims look to in times of suffering. this is the truek face at this perilous moment. now, more th ever, we must collectivelystra that international humanitarian law, the foundational baseline for human conduct during conflict, applies to all individuals and applieuasituations addressed byy office and by the court. this is how we will prove, tangibly, for allhis, that the lives of all human beings come up whereve may be, have equal value. >> president biden has responded saying the icc prosecutor'es was against israeli leaders isete br the psetor might imply, there is no equivalence, none, between israel and hamas.

we will always stand with israel against threats to its security. >> this year c-span celebrates 45 years of covering congress imary source for capitol hillhae providing balanced, unfiltered coverage of govetaking you to ws debated and decidedthe support of america's cable companies. c-span. 45 years and counting powered by cable. >> this week on the c-span network the house andate are in session. the house willn clarifying the securities and exchange commission and commodities ability to regulate digital assets and cryptocurrency. this and it will take a procedural revote onipartisan voter security and an immigration bill blocked earlier this year. secretary of