by WILL COOPER
Special Correspondent
NEW YORK – THE United States has announced new sanctions targeting senior officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), escalating tensions over the tribunal’s investigations into alleged war crimes committed by American soldiers and Israeli leaders.
In a statement released Wednesday, the White House confirmed that two judges and two deputy prosecutors of the Hague-based court had been blacklisted.
Judge Kimberly Prost was sanctioned for authorising investigations into the conduct of US troops in Afghanistan.
Judge Nicolas Guillou was targeted for issuing arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes in Gaza.
Deputy prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan and Mame Mandiaye Niang were also sanctioned for upholding the warrants.
Neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the ICC.
ICC Pushback
The ICC condemned the sanctions, calling them “a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution, which operates under a mandate from 125 States Parties.”
Washington’s move has drawn criticism across United Nations corridors, where more than 180 countries have repeatedly voted against Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestine, despite the United States frequently exercising its veto power to shield its ally.
Background to the Rift
Former US President Donald Trump first imposed sanctions on ICC officials in 2020, describing the court’s investigations as “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.” The Biden administration later lifted some restrictions, but has now reintroduced measures in response to the Gaza cases.
Netanyahu has denounced the arrest warrants, labelling the ICC’s decision “anti-Semitic.”
Gaza Crisis
In 2024, the ICC placed Netanyahu and Gallant on its wanted list after concluding there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Israel had deliberately blocked humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Since the start of Israel’s military campaign in 2023, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to humanitarian organisations.
The US sanctions further deepen the standoff between Washington and the ICC, raising concerns among diplomats and human rights advocates about the erosion of international accountability mechanisms.
– CAJ News
