The Trump administration announced sanctions on four International Criminal Court judges on Thursday over what Secretary of State Marco Rubio called “illegitimate actions” that he said targeted the U.S. and Israel.
Neither the U.S. nor Israel recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC, which has also issued an arrest warrant for a Hamas leader for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The ICC in a statement Thursday said the measures were “a clear attempt to undermine the independence” of the court.
“As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel.”
What they’re saying: Netanyahu thanked Trump and Rubio in a statement posted to X saying they had “justly stood up for the right of Israel.”
On Thursday, the Trump administration declared sanctions against four judges of the International Criminal Court for what Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as “illegitimate actions” that he claimed were directed at the U.S. S. . and Israel.
The broad stroke: The sanctions follow the ICC’s November arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as the court’s probe into alleged U.S. S. . Afghanistan’s war crimes.
President Trump sanctioned the ICC in February after it issued warrants for Israeli officials accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, and the action is “pursuant to” that executive order.
Nor the U. A. The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for a Hamas leader for alleged war crimes in Gaza, but neither Israel nor the court acknowledge its jurisdiction.
In a statement released Thursday, the ICC described the actions as “a clear attempt to undermine the independence” of the court.
The news was driven by Rubio’s announcement of the actions taken against Judges Beti Hohler of Slovenia, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, and Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda.
They were “directly engaged in” ICC efforts “to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without consent from the United States or Israel,” he said in a statement.
“These four people have actively participated in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions against America or our close ally, Israel, in their capacity as ICC judges. “.
The action implies that all of the judges’ assets and interests in the U.S. A. According to a Treasury statement, “are blocked and must be reported” to the Treasury Department.
What they’re saying: In a statement posted to X, Netanyahu expressed gratitude to Trump and Rubio for “justly standing up for the right of Israel.”. “,”.
