The United States has imposed sanctions on three Palestinian rights groups for backing the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe into Israeli officials.
The organizations targeted are Al Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR). According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the groups were sanctioned under an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump. The order was originally aimed at ICC officials after they issued an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Rubio said the Palestinian rights groups had worked directly with the ICC to investigate or prosecute Israeli nationals. He added that such actions were unacceptable, as the United States and Israel do not recognize the ICC’s authority under the Rome Statute.
“The United States opposes the ICC’s overreach and its disregard for sovereignty,” Rubio noted in a statement. He stressed that Washington views the court’s actions as politicized and biased.
The move follows Washington’s recent decision to revoke visas of Palestinian Authority officials, preventing them from attending the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York. This development comes as several countries, including France, Canada, and Australia, have declared their intention to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN conference.
Earlier, Rubio warned that such recognition would create “big problems” while Israel continues to advance its annexation plans in the occupied West Bank.
Last year, the ICC issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Israel also faces a separate genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
The sanctions on Palestinian rights groups highlight Washington’s firm support for Israel, even as the Gaza conflict intensifies. The ongoing military campaign has killed more than 64,200 Palestinians and left the enclave on the brink of famine.
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