The U.S. announced new sanctions for three Palestinian non-governmental organizations participating in the International Criminal Court’s efforts to arrest and prosecute Israeli nationals over alleged crimes committed by the Israeli government in Gaza.
According to Politico, the State Department has repeatedly criticized the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last year on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The human rights groups — Al Haq, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights — asked the ICC to investigate Israeli airstrikes in Gaza in 2023.
“The ongoing actions of the ICC set a dangerous precedent for all nations, and we will actively oppose actions that threaten our national interests and infringe on the sovereignty of the United States and our allies, including Israel,” the State Department said in a statement.
The three organizations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The U.S. — which, like Israel, is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its jurisdiction — criticized what it called “the ICC’s politicized agenda” in the statement.
In a statement posted to social media Thursday afternoon, Al-Haq called the sanctions a “heinous” and “draconion” measure that constitute “a coward, immoral, illegal & undemocratic act.”
“As the world moves to impose sanctions and arms embargoes on Israel, its ally, the U.S, is working to destroy Palestinian institutions working tirelessly for accountability for the victims of Israel’s mass atrocity crimes,” the group wrote.
