Trump signs executive order imposing sanctions on ICC over probes targeting US, Israel

In a move aimed at countering investigations into alleged war crimes involving the United States and Israel, President Donald Trump on Thursday issued sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), denouncing its inquiries as “illegitimate and baseless,” according to the White House.

Trump’s executive order accused the court, based in The Hague, of overstepping its authority, particularly after it issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with Trump earlier in the week. The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans on ICC officials, employees, their family members, and individuals assisting with the court’s investigations. The specific individuals targeted were not immediately named, though previous sanctions under Trump’s administration had focused on the court’s prosecutor.

The executive order criticized the ICC for pursuing cases against “America and our close ally Israel,” referencing ongoing probes into alleged war crimes committed by U.S. forces in Afghanistan and by Israeli troops in Gaza. Both the United States and Israel are not members of the ICC.

While the ICC has not yet responded, the Netherlands, which hosts the court, expressed disappointment over Trump’s decision. “The court’s work is essential in the fight against impunity,” Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp stated on X.

The sanctions come shortly after Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, during which Trump proposed a controversial plan for U.S. administration of Gaza and the relocation of Palestinians to other Middle Eastern countries. Legal experts and the United Nations have condemned the proposal, citing violations of international law, as forcible displacement constitutes a crime under the ICC’s Rome Statute.

ICC Probes Prompt Sharp Reactions

The ICC issued arrest warrants on November 21 for Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif, following a request by ICC prosecutor Karim Khan. The court stated it had “reasonable grounds” to believe Netanyahu and Gallant held “criminal responsibility” for war crimes, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare during the Gaza conflict, as well as crimes against humanity such as murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts. Netanyahu has rejected the allegations, accusing the court of anti-Semitism.

This is not the first time Trump has targeted the ICC. In 2020, his administration imposed financial sanctions and a visa ban on then-ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and other senior officials after she launched an investigation into alleged war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. While that order did not explicitly mention Israel, officials at the time criticized Bensouda’s probe into alleged crimes in the Palestinian territories, initiated in 2019.

President Joe Biden reversed Trump’s sanctions against the ICC shortly after taking office in 2021. Prosecutor Khan later shifted the focus of the Afghanistan investigation primarily to the Taliban, effectively scaling back scrutiny of U.S. actions.

Biden has also condemned the recent ICC warrant against Netanyahu, calling it “outrageous.” Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to impose sanctions on the ICC, but the measure was blocked in the Senate by Democrats concerned about potential repercussions for U.S. allies and businesses. Despite this, some Democrats have criticized Trump’s latest sanctions targeting Netanyahu.

AFP