Trump Imposes Sanctions on International Criminal Court, Citing “Abuse” Against US, Israel
President Donald Trump has announced sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the body of targeting the United States and its ally, Israel, with “illegitimate and baseless actions,”Al Jazeera reports.
The executive order, signed late Thursday, imposes financial and visa restrictions on ICC staff and anyone assisting ICC investigations targeting the US and its allies. The White House stated that the ICC had “abused its power” by issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials.
The timing of the order coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US. Notably, the ICC issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu, along with former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and a senior Hamas official, accusing them of war crimes related to the conflict in Gaza.
Trump’s order specifically criticized the ICC’s actions regarding Israel, describing it as “a democratic state whose military strictly adheres to the laws of war.”
While the names of individuals targeted by the sanctions were not immediately released, previous sanctions during Trump’s first term targeted the ICC prosecutor and her aide who were leading an investigation into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan.
The ICC has responded to the sanctions, stating that the order seeks to “harm its independent and impartial judicial work.” The court pledged to “continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world.”
Critics are pointing to the sanctions as a show of support for Netanyahu following his visit to the White House. During that visit, Trump announced a plan for the US to “take over” Gaza and relocate Palestinians to other Middle Eastern countries.
