US slaps sanctions on four ICC judges over Israel case

WASHINGTON

The United States has imposed sanctions on four judges at the International Criminal Court including over an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as it ramped up pressure to neuter the court of last resort.

The four judges in The Hague, all women, will be barred entry to the United States and any property or other interests in the world's largest economy will be blocked, measures more often taken against policymakers from U.S. adversaries than against judicial officials.

Two of the targeted judges, Beti Hohler of Slovenia and Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin, took part in proceedings that led to an arrest warrant issued last November for Netanyahu.

The two other judges, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru and Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, were part of the court proceedings that led to the authorization of an investigation into allegations that U.S. forces committed war crimes during the war in Afghanistan.

"The United States will take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our sovereignty, that of Israel, and any other US ally from illegitimate actions by the ICC," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

"I call on the countries that still support the ICC, many of whose freedom was purchased at the price of great American sacrifices, to fight this disgraceful attack on our nation and Israel," Rubio said.

The court swiftly hit back, saying in a statement: "These measures are a clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 States Parties from all corners of the globe."

Israel's Netanyahu welcomed the move, thanking U.S. President Donald Trump's administration in a social media post.

"Thank you President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio for imposing sanctions against the politicized judges of the ICC. You have justly stood up for the right of Israel," he wrote on June 6.

In response to the move, the United Nations human rights chief demanded Washington lift the sanctions saying they were contrary to the rule of law.

"I am profoundly disturbed by the decision of the Government of the United States of America to sanction judges of the International Criminal Court," Volker Türk said in a statement.

"I call for the prompt reconsideration and withdrawal of these latest measures," he said.

European Council chief Antonio Costa also the EU "strongly supports" the ICC.

The ICC "does not stand against nations, it stands against impunity. We must protect its independence and integrity. The rule of law must prevail over the rule of power," Costa wrote on X.

The court found "reasonable grounds" of criminal responsibility by Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for actions that include the war crime of starvation as a method of war in the massive offensive in Gaza.

Israel, alleging bias, has angrily rejected charges of war crimes as well as a separate allegation of genocide led by South Africa before the International Court of Justice.

Neither the United States nor Israel is party to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court.

But almost all Western allies of the United States as well as Japan and South Korea, the vast majority of Latin America and much of Africa are parties to the statute and in theory are required to arrest suspects when they land on their soil.