(AFP) – The United States has imposed sanctions on three leading Palestinian NGOs, accusing them of supporting International Criminal Court efforts to prosecute Israeli nationals. The move is the latest in Washington’s effort to hobble the ICC, which has sought arrest warrants for Israeli officials over alleged war crimes in Gaza. The court has also pursued cases against Hamas leaders.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday designated Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights under an executive order targeting entities that assist ICC investigations into Israel. “These entities have directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent,” Rubio said.
In response, the three NGOs condemned the sanctions, saying in a joint statement that the United States had “chosen to safeguard and entrench Israel’s Zionist settler-colonial apartheid regime and its unlawful occupation.” They said the move was part of a “decades-long campaign by Israel and its allies to erase the Palestinian people and systematically deny their collective right to self-determination and return.” The United States, Russia, and Israel are among the nations that reject the ICC. “We oppose the ICC’s politicized agenda, overreach, and disregard for the sovereignty of the United States and that of our allies,” Rubio said in a statement.
Last month, the United States imposed sanctions on two ICC judges and two prosecutors, including ones from allies France and Canada. In June, Rubio sanctioned four judges from the court. “The United States will continue to respond with significant and tangible consequences to protect our troops, our sovereignty, and our allies from the ICC’s disregard for sovereignty,” Rubio warned.
– ‘Completely unacceptable’ –
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk called the latest US move “completely unacceptable.” “For decades now, these NGOs have been performing vital human rights work, particularly on accountability for human rights violations,” Turk said in a statement. “The sanctions will have a chilling effect not only on civil society in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, but potentially globally,” he added.
Amnesty International also condemned the new sanctions as a “deeply troubling and shameful assault on human rights and the global pursuit of justice.” “These organizations carry out vital and courageous work, meticulously documenting human rights violations under the most horrifying conditions,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, a senior director at Amnesty. She accused the Trump administration of seeking to “dismantle the very foundation of international justice and shield Israel from accountability for its crimes.”
The ICC’s prosecution alleges Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel’s offensive in Gaza, including by intentionally targeting civilians and using starvation as a method of war. Israel launched the massive offensive in response to an unprecedented attack by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, in which mostly civilians were killed. The ICC has also sought the arrest of former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, who has since been confirmed killed by Israel.
© 2024 AFP
