Trump Orders Sanctions On International Criminal Court, Citing 'Baseless' Investigations Into US, Israel

US President Donald Trump on Thursday (6 February) signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The sanctions were in response to what the White House described as "baseless" investigations by the court into the United States and its close ally Israel.

The executive order accuses the Hague-based court of abusing its power.

This accusation comes after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently met with Trump on Tuesday.

The order also said the tribunal had engaged in "illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel," referring to ICC probes into alleged war crimes by US service members in Afghanistan and Israeli troops in Gaza.

Trump's order includes asset freezes and travel bans targeting ICC officials, their employees, and family members, as well as anyone who is considered to have assisted in the court's investigations.

These sanctions follow Netanyahu's visit to the White House, where Trump proposed a plan for the US to "take over" Gaza and relocate Palestinians to other countries in the Middle East, news agency AFP reported.

It is noteworthy that neither the United States nor Israel are members of the International Criminal Court.

On 21 November last year, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and the military chief of Hamas, Mohammed Deif, who, according to Israel, is deceased.

These warrants were approved following an application by ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in May for "crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024."

In his first term, Trump had targeted the ICC by imposing financial sanctions and a visa ban in 2020 on its then-prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and other high-ranking officials and staff.

Labelling the ICC as a "kangaroo court," the first Trump administration initiated these measures following Bensouda's launch of an investigation into alleged war crimes by US soldiers in Afghanistan.

Shortly after assuming office in 2021, President Joe Biden lifted these sanctions.

Biden had strongly condemned the "outrageous" warrant against Netanyahu in November.

Last month, the US House passed a bill to impose sanctions on the ICC, but it was blocked last week by Senate Democrats, who argued that the bill could have adverse effects on US allies and businesses.

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