US State Department claims it has 'non-criminal jurisdiction' in Gaza

The US has non-criminal jurisdiction in Gaza because of the military equipment it provides Israel, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday.

In a heated exchange with reporters, Miller said “We have jurisdiction with the use of our equipment….with the use of our military equipment that we have provided," responding to questions about US opposition to an International Criminal Court prosecutor's call for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and senior Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes.

Pressed on the claim, Miller said that he meant the US had "jurisdiction" because of the Leahy Law, which regulates the transfer of US weapons to countries over human rights abuses.