US Sanctions ICC President and Prosecutor Over Gaza Probes

The United States has imposed sanctions on the president of the International Criminal Court and one of its senior prosecutors, both linked to investigations into Israel's conduct during the war in Gaza.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions against Tomoko Akane of Japan, the ICC's president, and Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, a senior trial lawyer at the court. In a statement, Rubio described the Hague-based court as a "corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate."

Rubio said the two officials had "directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction." He did not specify which actions triggered the sanctions, but Israeli media have reported that Seye is overseeing an investigation into Israeli funding of settlements and the distribution of weapons to settlers in the West Bank.

The move follows a State Department effort announced last month to "dismantle the threat" the ICC poses to American sovereignty, with the stated goal of disabling the court's ability to "target American servicemen or officials." Rubio has urged all 125 ICC member countries to withdraw from the body. President Trump has said he is targeting the court because of the threat it poses to Israel.

The US previously sanctioned ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, who won arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Trump signed an executive order in 2025 sanctioning the court itself, saying it had taken "illegitimate and baseless actions" against the United States and Israel.

Israeli officials told local media in May that the ICC could seek five additional arrest warrants for ministers and senior military officers over violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The US has now designated at least 11 ICC officials for sanctions, in cases that also involve investigations into US soldiers in Afghanistan. Neither the US nor Israel is a member of the ICC or recognizes its jurisdiction.

Four human rights groups sued the Trump administration last week over its targeting of the ICC, arguing the sanctions prevent war crimes victims from seeking justice.