- Trump sanctions ICC over war crimes probe targeting US and Israel.
- Netanyahu backs US move, calling ICC actions “outrageous.”
- Trump proposes US control of Gaza, sparking global condemnation.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), condemning its actions as “illegitimate and baseless” for targeting the United States and Israel.
The order enforces financial and visa restrictions on individuals involved in ICC investigations of American citizens or allies. Trump’s decision coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, following the ICC’s recent arrest warrants against Netanyahu and a Hamas commander over alleged war crimes in Gaza, allegations Israel has denied.
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A White House memo criticized the ICC for creating a “shameful moral equivalency” between Hamas and Israel. The executive order argued that the court’s actions “set a dangerous precedent,” potentially exposing Americans to “harassment, abuse, and possible arrest.” The U.S. is not a member of the ICC and has consistently rejected its jurisdiction over American officials.
Trump previously sanctioned ICC officials in response to investigations into alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan, measures later lifted by President Joe Biden. While the U.S. House of Representatives recently voted to impose new sanctions on the court, the bill stalled in the Senate.
More than 120 countries are ICC members, including European nations, but neither the U.S. nor Israel has joined. The ICC operates as a court of last resort, stepping in only when national authorities fail to prosecute crimes. Trump’s order emphasized that both the U.S. and Israel are “thriving democracies” with military forces that adhere to the laws of war.
Meanwhile, Trump has proposed an ambitious plan to reshape Gaza, calling for the U.S. to “take over” the territory, resettle its Palestinian population, and transform it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” The proposal, announced during a press conference with Netanyahu, faced widespread condemnation from Arab leaders and the United Nations.
Despite criticism, Trump reiterated the plan on his Truth Social platform, stating that Gaza would be handed over to the U.S. after the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas concludes. While he claimed no American troops would be deployed, his remarks left uncertainty about the future of Gaza’s two million residents.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that any displacement of Gazans would be temporary, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested their departure would be “interim” during reconstruction efforts.
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Netanyahu praised Trump’s vision for Gaza, and Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered preparations for the “voluntary departure” of the territory’s residents via land, sea, and air.
During his Washington visit, Netanyahu also met with U.S. lawmakers and presented Trump with a symbolic golden pager, referencing Israel’s covert operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon last year, which resulted in numerous casualties.
