United States President, Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing it of unfairly targeting the United States and Israel.
The ICC, an independent tribunal tasked with prosecuting genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, has over 120 member countries, including the UK. However, neither the U.S. nor Israel recognizes its jurisdiction.
Under Trump’s executive order, financial and visa restrictions will be imposed on individuals and their families who assist the ICC in investigations involving American citizens.
The sanctions coincided with a visit to Washington by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
They followed the ICC’s decision in November 2024 to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The court linked these crimes to a period spanning from October 8, 2023, to May 20, 2024, when the prosecution submitted its warrant applications.
The ICC stated there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant bore responsibility for ordering attacks on civilians.
Additionally, the court issued a warrant for a senior Hamas commander.
Trump’s administration condemned the ICC’s decision, arguing that it drew a “shameful moral equivalency” between Hamas and Israel.
The White House further claimed that the court’s actions set a “dangerous precedent” that could subject American officials to prosecution, jeopardizing national security and foreign policy interests.
“This malign conduct in turn threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States government and our allies, including Israel,” the order reads.