September 23, 2025

Picture this: The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, could soon face a massive blow! The United States is seriously thinking of slapping sanctions on the *whole* ICC, not just a few people. This week might see a stunning escalation in Washington’s fight against the ICC’s probes into suspected Israeli war crimes. Until now, the US had only targeted a handful of ICC judges and prosecutors. Now, sources say the entire court might get blacklisted. Six well-informed insiders, speaking secretly, reveal that court chiefs are already holding emergency meetings to figure out how to survive these looming 'entity sanctions.' Diplomats from ICC member countries—125 states strong—are also huddling, trying to plan a response. One anonymous US official confirmed the heavy sanctions idea is on the table but stayed mum on timing. Meanwhile, a State Department spokesperson accused the ICC of stretching its "purported jurisdiction" too far, targeting US and Israeli people unjustly. The spokesperson declared, "The US will take additional steps to protect our brave service members and others as long as the ICC continues to present a threat to our national interests." What does this mean in practice? If the whole ICC is sanctioned, it could be locked out of bank accounts, blocked from using office software, and squeezed in paying staff salaries. To prepare, the ICC already paid salaries in advance for the rest of 2025—this isn’t the first time it’s done so to avoid payroll troubles. The court is scrambling to find new banking and software suppliers too. Why all this drama? The ICC has dared to indict Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and some Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict. The US had already punished some ICC officials because of cases tied to Israel and Afghanistan, especially since those probes touched on US military actions. At the same time, ICC member states plan to push back against these fresh sanctions at this week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York. But insiders warn, "The road of individual sanctions has been exhausted. It is now more about when, rather than if, they will take the next step," said a senior diplomat. Adding spice to the controversy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed the ICC as "a national security threat" and accused it of using "lawfare" against the US and Israel. Remember, the ICC was created in 2002 to handle serious crimes like genocide and war crimes—but Israel and the US are not members. The ICC accepts Palestine as a member, giving it what the US and Israel reject as authority over Palestinian territories. Earlier this year, the US slapped sanctions on ICC’s lead prosecutor Karim Khan, who requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. Khan is now taking leave amid sexual misconduct allegations, which he denies. As the tension thickens in world diplomacy, all eyes stay glued to The Hague and Washington. Will the ICC survive this sanction storm? Only time will tell. For now, the drama continues.

Read More at Thehindubusinessline →

Tags: International criminal court, Usa sanctions, Israel war crimes, Icc investigations, Netherlands, Diplomacy,