'These entities have directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to ... prosecute Israeli nationals,' says secretary of state
The US on Thursday sanctioned three Palestinian human rights organizations for their role in supporting the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into Israeli officials.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Al Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) were designated under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February, which targeted the ICC officials for issuing an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes in Gaza.
“These entities have directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel's consent,” Rubio said in a statement.
“The United States and Israel are not party to the Rome Statute and are therefore not subject to the ICC’s authority,” Rubio said. “We oppose the ICC’s politicized agenda, overreach, and disregard for the sovereignty of the United States and that of our allies.”
The move came days after Washington revoked visas for Palestinian Authority officials, barring them from traveling to New York for next month’s UN General Assembly. That decision followed announcements by several countries, including France, Canada, and Australia, that they would recognize a Palestinian state during the UN conference.
Earlier Thursday, Rubio warned that recognition of Palestine would “create big problems,” as Israel advances with plans to annex the occupied West Bank.
Last November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.
The Israeli army has launched a brutal military offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing over 64,200 Palestinians in Gaza following the cross-border attack by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
