The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday denounced fresh U.S. sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration on four of its officials, including two judges who authorized arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over their war crimes in Gaza.
Calling the measures “a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution,” the ICC said in a statement that the sanctions were an affront to the court’s 125 member states, the rules-based international order and “millions of innocent victims across the world.” The court vowed to continue fulfilling its mandate “without regard to any pressure or threat.”
The move drew swift condemnation from France, which said it had “learned with dismay” of the sanctions, including those targeting French Judge Nicolas Guillou. Paris urged Washington to withdraw all penalties imposed under the Feb. 6, 2025 presidential decree, stressing that they undermine judicial independence and constitute “an attack on the Court and all 125 States Parties to the Rome Statute.” France expressed solidarity with the sanctioned judges and reaffirmed its “unwavering support” for the ICC in its fight against impunity.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the sanctions were aimed at judges Kimberly Prost of Canada and Nicolas Guillou of France, along with prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal. Rubio accused the officials of attempting to prosecute Americans and Israelis “without the consent of either nation” and pledged further action to “protect our troops, our sovereignty, and our allies.”
The State Department said Prost was sanctioned for previously authorizing an investigation into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan, while Guillou was penalized for his ruling that authorized the ICC’s arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. Khan and Niang were targeted for continuing investigations into Israel’s assault on Gaza.
Israel’s war on Gaza, which began in October 2023, has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The enclave has been devastated by continuous Israeli bombardment, blockade-induced famine, and the collapse of its health system. Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its campaign in Gaza, which rights groups have repeatedly denounced as collective punishment and a violation of international law.
The U.S., which is not a member of the ICC, has long opposed the court’s efforts to hold American or Israeli officials accountable, dating back to sanctions during Trump’s first term that were later rescinded by President Joe Biden. The latest measures mark an escalation in Washington’s attempts to shield Israeli leaders from international justice as global pressure mounts over war crimes allegations.
