Trump Sanctions ICC Over ‘Illegitimate’ Probes into Israel, US
US President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing it of conducting “illegitimate and baseless” investigations targeting the United States and its ally Israel, the White House announced on Thursday, February 6, 2025.
The executive order, signed by Trump, comes in response to the ICC’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following allegations of war crimes in Gaza. The sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on ICC officials, employees, and their families.
While neither the US nor Israel are members of the ICC, Trump’s administration condemned the court’s actions as a politically motivated attack. The ICC has also been investigating alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan, prompting previous sanctions under Trump’s presidency in 2020.
The Netherlands, which hosts the Hague-based court, criticized the move, with Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp stating that the ICC’s role in fighting impunity remains essential.
Trump’s decision follows Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, where the US president proposed a controversial plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza—a move the United Nations and legal experts say would violate international law.
Meanwhile, the US Congress remains divided on the issue, with the House passing a bill last month to sanction the ICC, though it was later blocked in the Senate. President Joe Biden previously lifted Trump-era sanctions on the ICC but condemned the court’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu last November.
The situation continues to escalate, with legal experts and global leaders watching closely as tensions rise between Washington, the ICC, and the international legal community.
