President Donald Trump imposed on Thursday economic and travel sanctions that target people who are involved in investigations of the United States citizens or U.S. allies, such as Israel, through the International Criminal Court.
This coincides with the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington. The ICC is seeking him, his former defense minister, and a leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas for their involvement in the Gaza Strip war.
The timing of the U.S. sanction announcement is unknown.
In 2020, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Fatou Bensouda, the then-prosecutor, and one of her top aides in response to the ICC’s investigation into possible war crimes committed by American troops in Afghanistan.
The sanctions cover the prohibition of those named and their families from visiting the United States, as well as the freezing of any U.S. assets.
The ICC accused President Vladimir Putin of committing a war crime in 2023 by illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. An arrest warrant was issued for him. ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan has been denied entry into Russia, and the country has placed him and two other ICC judges on its wanted list.
The permanent court, the 125-member ICC, can prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression against member states or their nationals. China, Russia, Israel, and the US are not members.
