The United States is preparing to impose entity-wide sanctions on the entire International Criminal Court (ICC), not just individual judges or prosecutors, in response to its investigations into alleged war crimes in Gaza.
U.S. officials say the move could disrupt core operations of the court like paying staff salaries, accessing banking services, and using certain software.
The ICC has already taken precautionary steps, including prepaying staff salaries and exploring alternative service providers.
The decision is driven by protests in Washington over ICC warrants issued against Israeli leaders Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, among others.
Many ICC member states are expected to push back diplomatically at the United Nations General Assembly.
The U.S. State Department criticizes what it calls the ICC’s “asserted jurisdiction” over U.S. and Israeli personnel.
The ICC rejects prior sanctions, saying they undermine its independence and threaten its ability to fulfill its mandate.
