President Donald Trump has escalated his offensive against the International Criminal Court (ICC), signing an executive order imposing sanctions on individuals linked to investigations into American citizens and US allies, including Israel.
The move comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington, where the two leaders unveiled a controversial vision for Gaza’s future.
Trump Hits Back at ICC
The order, announced by the White House, enforces financial and visa restrictions on ICC officials and anyone assisting in its probes.
This comes after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and a Hamas commander over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The US accused the Hague-based court of drawing a “shameful moral equivalency” between Hamas and Israel by targeting both sides.
Trump’s order warned that the ICC’s actions “set a dangerous precedent”, arguing that they undermine US sovereignty and endanger American personnel by exposing them to possible arrest.
“The ICC is a rogue body that threatens the national security of the United States and its allies,” the executive order states.
The US has never recognized the ICC’s jurisdiction, and Trump previously imposed sanctions on ICC officials during his first term to block investigations into alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan—sanctions that were later lifted by President Joe Biden.
Trump’s Bold ‘Takeover’ Plan for Gaza
While sanctioning the ICC, Trump dropped another political bombshell—a radical plan for the US to “take over” Gaza and transform it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
During a joint press conference with Netanyahu, Trump outlined his vision to resettle Palestinians and rebuild the war-torn enclave under US control—without deploying American soldiers.
