Trump sanctions ICC for 'illegitimate' Israel, US probes

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), condemning its investigations into alleged war crimes by the US and Israel as “unfounded,” the White House announced.

The order criticized the ICC for “exceeding its authority” after it issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump met with Netanyahu earlier in the week to discuss Middle East policy.

The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans on ICC officials, employees, their families, and anyone assisting the court’s probes. The move comes after Trump unveiled a controversial plan for US control over Gaza and the relocation of Palestinians to other Middle Eastern nations.

Neither the US nor Israel are members of the ICC, and the court has not yet responded to the sanctions.

The ICC had issued arrest warrants on November 21 for Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif—who Israel claims is deceased. The charges, authorized in May, cite alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed from October 8, 2023, to May 20, 2024.

This is not Trump’s first action against the ICC. In 2020, his administration sanctioned then-ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and other top officials after she launched a probe into alleged war crimes by US forces in Afghanistan. Though that order did not specifically mention Israel, officials confirmed they were also frustrated by the ICC’s 2019 investigation into alleged war crimes in Palestinian territories.

President Joe Biden lifted those sanctions in 2021. Subsequently, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan shifted focus away from US actions in Afghanistan, concentrating instead on Taliban atrocities.

Biden condemned the ICC’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November, calling it “outrageous.”

In response to the ICC’s actions, the US House of Representatives passed a bill last month to impose sanctions on the court. However, Senate Democrats blocked it last week, arguing it could negatively impact US allies and businesses. Despite this, many Democratic lawmakers have also voiced their opposition to the ICC’s move against Netanyahu.

This article was reported by journalist Jimmy.