US Poised to Sanction ICC Over “Israeli” War Crimes Probe

By Staff, Agencies

The United States is preparing sweeping sanctions against the International Criminal Court [ICC] in retaliation for its investigation into “Israeli” war crimes in Gaza, according to multiple diplomatic sources.

The measures, expected as early as this week, would mark a major escalation by targeting the court itself rather than just individual prosecutors and judges, as Washington has done in the past.

Reuters reported that officials have described the looming move as “entity sanctions” — a step that could paralyze the court’s core operations, including salaries, banking access, and essential software.

Anticipating such a scenario, ICC staff have already been paid wages in advance through the end of 2025, while the court explores alternative banking and technology providers to keep functioning.

A State Department spokesperson accused the ICC of overstepping its jurisdiction by pursuing cases against US and “Israeli” personnel, warning that “the US will take additional steps to protect our brave service members and others as long as the ICC continues to present a threat to our national interests”. The official added that the court still has an “opportunity to change course” through “structural reforms”.

The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, has indicted top “Israeli” leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former war minister Yoav Gallant, for atrocities committed during the Gaza genocide. Earlier this year, Washington sanctioned ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan after he sought arrest warrants against “Israeli” officials.

Diplomats from ICC member states have held emergency consultations, with opposition to the US move expected to surface at the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York. Still, insiders suggest Washington is determined to press forward. “The road of individual sanctions has been exhausted. It is now more about when, rather than if, they will take the next step,” one senior diplomat told Reuters.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has branded the ICC a “national security threat” and an instrument of “lawfare” against the US and “Israel”. Neither the US nor the “Israeli” entity is a member of the court, which does, however, recognize Palestine and asserts jurisdiction over crimes committed in occupied Palestinian territories.