President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), escalating tensions with the global tribunal after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The executive order, signed Thursday, accuses the ICC of “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.” The move has sparked condemnation from The Hague-based court, which vowed to continue its work.
“The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world,” the ICC said in a statement.
What is the ICC?
The International Criminal Court was established in 2002 to prosecute individuals responsible for war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and aggression. It steps in when national governments are unwilling or unable to conduct fair trials for such offenses.
While 125 countries are members of the court under the Rome Statute, the United States and Israel have never joined. The ICC has convicted 11 individuals, including Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga in 2012 and Ugandan rebel commander Dominic Ongwen in 2021.
Impact of Trump’s Sanctions
Trump’s order invokes emergency powers allowing the U.S. Treasury and State Departments to issue financial and travel sanctions against ICC personnel. The court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, and the judges who approved Netanyahu’s arrest warrant are expected to be among the targets.
This is not the first time Trump has taken action against the ICC. During his first term, he sanctioned former prosecutor Fatou Bensouda over her investigation into alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan, blocking her access to U.S. financial assets and barring her and her family from entering the country.
The new sanctions could severely impact the ICC’s operations, potentially freezing financial assets and restricting international cooperation.
Why Was Netanyahu Issued an Arrest Warrant?
In November, ICC judges approved arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The decision marked the first time a sitting leader of a major Western ally has faced such charges from the ICC, putting Netanyahu and Gallant at risk of arrest when traveling abroad. Israeli officials have strongly denied the allegations.
Could Sanctions Affect Ongoing ICC Cases?
The ICC currently has no active trials for the first time since its founding. However, it has issued 33 unsealed arrest warrants, including for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, and Georgian official Gamlet Guchmazov.
Three pending verdicts remain, including the cases of Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona and Alfred Yekatom, accused of war crimes in the Central African Republic. Meanwhile, the trial of Sudanese Janjaweed militia leader Ali Abdul Rahman concluded last year.
The sanctions could complicate future arrests and trials, raising concerns about the ICC’s ability to hold world leaders accountable for war crimes.