Trump sanctions target ICC amid tensions with Netanyahu
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, will sign an executive order today imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) for conducting investigations against the United States and its allies, such as Israel, the White House announced.
According to this order, individuals assisting ICC investigations concerning U.S. citizens or their allies will be subject to financial sanctions and visa restrictions, which will also extend to their family members.
The court is ready for Trump's strike
Trump's decision came after Democrats in the U.S. Senate blocked a Republican initiative last week to impose sanctions on the ICC in protest against arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister for actions by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu is currently visiting Washington.
Reuters sources reported last month that the Court has taken steps to protect its staff from potential U.S. sanctions by paying salaries three months in advance to prepare for financial restrictions that could paralyze its operations.
In December, the Court's president, Judge Tomoko Akane, warned that sanctions could "rapidly undermine the Court's operations in all situations and cases and jeopardise its very existence."
Arrest warrant for Netanyahu
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defense minister Joav Gallant, and Hamas commander Al-Masri.
The ICC accused them of war crimes, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity, such as murder and persecution. The charges relate to actions during the war in the Gaza Strip.
The war in the Gaza Strip, which lasted over 15 months, erupted after a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed, and 251 were abducted.
Over 47,000 residents of the Gaza Strip died in the fighting. The Palestinian territory is devastated, facing a humanitarian crisis, and the majority of its 2.1 million inhabitants have become internal refugees.
