US slaps sanctions on 4 ICC judges over Israel, US cases

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, ramping up pressure on The Hague-based body.

The four judges, all women, will be barred entry to the United States and any property or other interests in the US will be blocked, measures more often taken against policymakers from US adversaries rather than judicial officials.

"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," Mr Rubio said.

The ICC said the sanctions are a "clear attempt" at undermining the court's independence.

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

The court found "reasonable grounds" of criminal responsibility by Mr Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant for actions that include the war crime of starvation as a method of war in the massive offensive in Gaza following Hamas's unprecedented 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.

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 authorisation of an investigation into allegations that US forces committed war crimes during the war in Afghanistan.

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

However, 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.