US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order authorising economic and travel sanctions against people who work on International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations of US citizens or US allies, such as Israel.The order accuses the ICC of “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel”, the White House said.
The move coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US. The ICC in November issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, as well as former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and a senior Hamas official, accusing them of war crimes in the war in Gaza.
Trump’s order stated The Hague-based court had “abused its power” by issuing the warrants for the Israelis. The White House defined Israel as “a democratic state whose military strictly adheres to the laws of war”.
“The actions taken by the International Criminal Court against Israel and the United States set a dangerous precedent,” it continued, accusing the ICC of “malign behaviour that threatens to violate American sovereignty and undermine national security and foreign policy”.
The names of individuals targeted by the sanctions were not immediately released, but previous sanctions issued during Trump’s first term were aimed at the prosecutor and her aide who ran an ICC investigation into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has strongly condemned the United States’ recent executive order that seeks to impose sanctions on its officials, describing the move as an attempt to undermine the court’s independent and impartial judicial processes.
In a press statement released today, the ICC affirmed its commitment to justice, stating that it “stands firmly by its personnel” and will continue its work in delivering justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities worldwide. The court vowed to uphold its mission in all situations before it, despite external pressures.
The ICC also called on its 125 member states, civil society organizations, and the international community to unite in support of justice and fundamental human rights. “We call on our 125 States Parties, civil society and all nations of the world to stand united for justice and fundamental human rights,” the statement concluded.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has praised Trump for his decision to authorise sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its employees.
“I strongly commend President Trump’s executive order to impose sanctions on the so-called ‘international criminal court’,” he wrote on X. “The ICC’s actions are immoral and have no legal basis.”
Saar insisted the court has no jurisdiction as Israel and the US are not members. This stance has been repeatedly refuted by legal experts, who say the State of Palestine is a member and the court, therefore, has a mandate to investigate war crimes committed there.
