Rights Groups Condemn U.S. Sanctions on ICC Over Gaza War Crimes Probe

Rights Groups Condemn U.S. Sanctions on ICC Over Gaza War Crimes Probe
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International rights groups have condemned new U.S. sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court (ICC), its staff, and those cooperating with it, Jurist website reported. The sanctions follow the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.

The coalition — including the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, Human Rights Watch, and the International Commission of Jurists — stressed that the ICC must remain free from political pressure to investigate grave international crimes. They warned that penalizing ICC officials threatens global justice and undermines the rule of law.

Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council, lawyer Francesca Restifo urged support for victims and accountability: “No one is above the law.” The U.S. imposed the sanctions after President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order declaring ICC efforts to prosecute protected U.S. allies a national security threat. Four ICC judges and Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan were sanctioned.

The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber found grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant used starvation as a weapon and targeted civilians — violations under the Rome Statute. The U.S. dismissed the ICC’s actions as “illegitimate,” raising concerns the move weakens international legal norms and emboldens selective justice.