US Sanctions ICC Judges Over Investigations into Israel and US Actions

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to the court's investigations into alleged war crimes by Israel in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as actions by US personnel in Afghanistan. The sanctioned judges are Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia. The US State Department announced on Thursday that it would freeze any assets these judges hold in US jurisdictions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the ICC's actions as "illegitimate and baseless," asserting that the court's investigations infringe on US and Israeli sovereignty. The ICC, in response, denounced the sanctions as an attempt to undermine its independence and vowed to continue its work undeterred. The court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes, a move that has drawn criticism from the Biden administration. The sanctions have also sparked calls from the European Union to activate its "blocking statute" to counter the US measures, with Slovenia and Belgium leading the push. The EU has expressed deep regret over the US decision but has yet to take definitive action. This marks the second time the Trump administration has targeted the ICC, following similar sanctions in 2020 over investigations into US actions in Afghanistan.