In response to inquiries into the military actions and the arrest warrants issued against Israeli leaders, secretary of state Marco Rubio announced that the US would impose new sanctions against four judges from the International Criminal Court ( ICC). Rubio said in his speech,” The United States may take whatever steps we deem necessary to protect our independence, that of Israel, and any other US alliance from illegal activities by the ICC.” He claimed that the sanctions were a direct reaction to the ICC’s “illegitimate” deliberations against both the US and its alliance Israel. Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia are the four courts chosen. Judges Bossa and Ibáez Carranza reportedly authorized the ICC’s research into US workers in Afghanistan, according to the condition department. Although the research was initially allowed to proceed, it was eventually dropped. After taking office in 2021, Khan declared he would certainly investigate allegations involving US defense or CIA employees. However, panel members Hohler and Alapini Gansou authorized arrest permits for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over activities taken during the Gaza war. All US-based property owned by the four judges may become frozen and reported to the Treasury Department in accordance with the punishment. American citizens are also prohibited from doing business with them. Some American employees at the courtroom have since resigned due to problems caused by previous sanctions against ICC leaders. This action comes in response to earlier restrictions in February, when the US fined ICC key counsel Karim Khan for bringing charges against him for his involvement in Israel’s military operation in Gaza. Khan’s team’s job apparently slowed down as a result of the sanctions. The US and Israel do not belong to the ICC, and they have long opposed its work to look into their defense or authorities. Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo imposed similar punishment when the judge moved to look into alleged war crimes committed by US soldiers in Afghanistan during US President Donald Trump‘s first president. The ICC vehemently denounced the fresh sanctions, calling them” a evident attempt to undermine” a body that seeks to compensate victims of serious crimes. The ICC, which was established in 1998, is the world’s best legal jury charged with prosecuting war crimes, murder, crimes against humanity, and brutality. It said quite measures “only encourage those who believe they can work with impunity.” Since it lacks the authority to carry out its decisions on its own, the jury relies on member states to carry out its decisions. The agreement that established the ICC, the Rome Statute, has been ratified by 125 nations. Nevertheless, some of the world’s most powerful countries, including the US, China, Russia, India, and Israel, do not understand the court’s power and are not parties to it. He continued,” I call on the nations that continue to support the ICC to fight this repulsive attack on our country and Israel, many of whom were paid for by great American sacrifices.”
