Trump administration sanctions 2 ICC judges over Israel probe, Rubio warns ‘will not tolerate ICC abuses of power’

US sanctions widen ICC clash

President Donald Trump's administration has imposed sanctions on two additional International Criminal Court judges for their involvement in investigating Israeli officials over possible war crimes during Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday that Judges Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia have been designated for penalties, which may include freezing of assets in U.S. jurisdictions and a ban on travel to the United States.

The pair are the latest in a series of ICC judges and staff targeted by the Trump administration for approving or advancing criminal complaints concerning Israel and the United States, neither of which are ICC members. The Republican administration had earlier sanctioned the former ICC chief prosecutor and nine other judicial and support staff, including lawyers and investigators.

“The ICC has continued to engage in politicized actions targeting Israel, which set a dangerous precedent for all nations,” Rubio said in a statement. “We will not tolerate ICC abuses of power that violate the sovereignty of the United States and Israel and wrongly subject U.S. and Israeli persons to the ICC’s jurisdiction.”

The Hague-based ICC responded promptly, stating it “deplores” the move.

“These sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution which operates pursuant to the mandate conferred by its states parties from across regions,” it said. “Such measures targeting judges and prosecutors who were elected by the states parties undermine the rule of law. When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk.”

The statement said the court, which has 18 judges, would continue to carry out its mandate “with independence and impartiality.”

The Trump administration's actions come after a panel of ICC judges last year issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant.

Netanyahu condemned the warrant against him, saying Israel “rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions” by the court. Gallant said the decision “sets a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defense and moral warfare and encourages murderous terrorism.”

(With AP inputs)