Trump Imposes Sanctions on ICC Over ‘Unfounded and Invalid’ US and Israeli Investigations
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has enacted sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) for conducting what he termed “illegitimate and baseless” investigations aimed at the US and its ally, Israel, according to the White House.
Mr. Trump signed an executive order asserting that the court in The Hague had “abused its authority” by issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with the US president on Tuesday.
He mandated asset freezes and travel restrictions on ICC officials, employees, their family members, and anyone believed to have assisted in the court’s investigations.
While the names of those targeted were not immediately disclosed, previous sanctions under Mr. Trump had specifically targeted the ICC’s prosecutor.
“The court remains steadfast in its support for its personnel and vows to continue delivering justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities globally, in all circumstances before it,” the court remarked in a statement.
Mr. Trump’s order stated that the tribunal had engaged in “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel,” highlighting ICC probes into alleged war crimes by US forces in Afghanistan and Israeli military actions in Gaza.
The Netherlands expressed its discontent with Donald Trump’s order
Notably, neither the United States nor Israel are signatories of the court.
However, the Netherlands, which hosts the court, expressed its “regret” over Mr. Trump’s sanctions order.
“The court’s operations are vital in the effort to combat impunity,” stated Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp on social media.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close ally of Donald Trump, remarked that the sanctions indicated it could be time to reconsider Hungary’s involvement in the ICC.
“It’s time for Hungary to reassess our participation in an international organization facing US sanctions! New currents are sweeping through international politics. We call it the Trump-tornado,” he stated on X.
The sanctions demonstrated support for Mr. Netanyahu following his visit to the White House, during which Mr. Trump proposed a plan for the United States to “take over” Gaza and relocate Palestinians to other Middle Eastern nations.
The UN and legal experts have declared that Mr. Trump’s plan would violate international law.
Furthermore, forcible displacement is classified as a crime under the ICC’s governing Rome Statute.
Upon a request from ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, judges issued arrest warrants on November 21 for Mr. Netanyahu, his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas’s military chief Mohammed Deif—who Israel claims is deceased.
Latest updates on the Middle East
The court stated it had established “reasonable grounds” to believe that Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant held “criminal responsibility” for the war crime of utilizing starvation as a tactic of warfare during the Gaza conflict, as well as for crimes against humanity including murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.
Mr. Netanyahu has accused the court of anti-Semitism.
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A judge indicated that the sanctions could jeopardize the court’s functioning.
The ICC operates as a permanent tribunal that prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression against the territory of member states or by their nationals.
Notably, the United States, China, Russia, and Israel are not members of the court.
Mr. Trump signed the executive order following the obstruction of a Republican initiative by Senate Democrats aimed at establishing a sanctions regime targeting the war crimes court.
To prepare for potential US sanctions, the court has adopted measures to protect its staff, such as advancing payroll for three months, as reported by sources to Reuters last month.
In December, the court’s president, Judge Tomoko Akane, cautioned that sanctions would “rapidly undermine the court’s operations across all cases and situations, jeopardizing its very survival.”
During his initial term, Mr. Trump had previously imposed financial sanctions and a visa ban on the ICC’s then-prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, and other senior officials in 2020.
Describing it as a “kangaroo court,” his administration took these actions after Ms. Bensouda initiated an investigation into claims of war crimes by US forces in Afghanistan.
While the earlier order did not specifically mention Israel, Trump administration officials expressed anger over Ms. Bensouda’s initiation of an investigation regarding the situation in Palestinian territories in 2019.
Former President Joe Biden lifted the sanctions shortly after assuming office in 2021.
Prosecutor Khan later effectively dropped the focus on the United States from the Afghan investigation, opting to concentrate on the Taliban instead.
Mr. Biden strongly condemned the “outrageous” warrant against Mr. Netanyahu in November.
Rubio is set to visit the Middle East
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to visit Israel and several Arab nations later this month, a State Department official announced, marking his first visit to the region.
Mr. Rubio will attend the Munich Security Conference and travel to Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia from February 13 to February 18, according to the senior State Department official.
Marco Rubio suggests temporary relocation for Gazans
Rights organizations have criticized Mr. Trump’s notion that Palestinians in Gaza should be permanently displaced as part of a US takeover of the area.
On Wednesday, Mr. Rubio stated that Palestinians in Gaza would need to be temporarily relocated during the rebuilding phase following the Israel-Gaza conflict.
The US official mentioned that Mr. Rubio’s discussions would encompass Gaza and the consequences of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, and he would aim to continue Mr. Trump’s strategy of altering the region’s status quo.
“The status quo cannot persist. It feels like wash, rinse, repeat. People familiarized themselves with it and assume this is just life and what we must expect.
“President Trump and Marco Rubio believe it is possible for change to occur,” the official elaborated.
Since January 25, Mr. Trump has repeatedly indicated that Palestinians in Gaza should seek refuge in neighboring Arab countries like Egypt and Jordan, a proposal that has been rejected by both Arab states and the Palestinian population.
Mr. Trump’s suggestion echoes longstanding fears among Palestinians about being permanently displaced from their homes.
Recently, US ally Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which are currently paused due to a fragile ceasefire, have resulted in over 47,000 Palestinian deaths in the past 16 months, according to the Gaza health ministry, leading to accusations of genocide and war crimes—charges that Israel has denied.
The ongoing violence in the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalated on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants executed an attack on Israel, causing 1,200 deaths and taking around 250 hostages, as reported by Israeli estimates.
