Overview

• On June 5, the U.S. Department of State imposed sanctions on four ICC judges: Solomy Balungi Bossa, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza, Reine Alapini Gansou and Beti Hohler.
• The judges oversaw probes into alleged war crimes by American forces in Afghanistan and authorized arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over Gaza operations.
• Sanctions bar the judges from entering the United States and freeze any assets they hold under American jurisdiction.
• The ICC denounced the measures as an assault on its judicial independence and vowed to continue its work, while Human Rights Watch warned the sanctions undermine accountability for serious crimes.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly thanked President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio for defending Israel’s right to self-defense.