The United States has announced sanctions on three Palestinian human rights groups after they asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israeli leaders over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The groups targeted are Al Haq, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR). According to the US government, these organizations directly supported efforts by the ICC to investigate and prosecute Israeli officials without Israel’s approval.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the actions of the rights groups as attempts to support what he called the ICC’s “illegitimate targeting of Israel.” The new measures mean restrictions on the groups’ activities, financial transactions, and international engagement.
The sanctions come at a time when international voices are growing louder over the ongoing war in Gaza. In recent days, a group of leading genocide experts said Israel’s actions could meet the legal definition of genocide. Israel strongly rejected those claims, calling them false and politically motivated.
ICC Warrants and the Human Rights Case
The dispute began in late 2023 when the three Palestinian groups filed a complaint with the ICC. They asked the court to look into Israel’s conduct in Gaza, including airstrikes on crowded areas, forced displacement of families, use of toxic gas, and blocking access to food and water.
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The organizations said these actions amounted to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and even genocide. They pushed for the ICC to issue arrest warrants for top Israeli officials involved in decision-making during the conflict.
In November 2024, the ICC issued warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The charges included using starvation as a method of warfare and committing crimes against humanity. The court also issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, a senior Hamas leader accused of planning attacks against Israel. Israel later claimed that Deif was killed in an airstrike.
The move by the ICC was historic and controversial. Israel rejected the court’s authority, stating that it is not a member of the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC. The United States also does not recognize the court’s authority over its citizens or allies, and it has long criticized ICC investigations into Israel.
Global Reactions to US Sanctions
The three Palestinian groups condemned the US decision as “immoral, illegal, and undemocratic.” In a joint statement posted online, they said only countries with no regard for international law would punish human rights defenders in such a way. They also argued that the sanctions aim to silence accountability efforts and protect Israel from facing justice for what they described as “mass atrocity crimes.”
Amnesty International also criticized the US move, calling it a direct attack on human rights and justice. Erika Guevara-Rosas, a senior director at Amnesty, said the Palestinian organizations had carried out important and courageous work under dangerous conditions by documenting violations in Gaza.
For years, the United States has opposed ICC investigations into Israel. Previous administrations imposed sanctions on ICC officials, including chief prosecutor Karim Khan, and restricted visas for Palestinian officials involved in legal action against Israel. The US government insists these measures are necessary to protect its sovereignty and its allies.
Meanwhile, the ICC has maintained that it has jurisdiction over Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. This is because the Palestinian leadership agreed in 2015 to be bound by the court’s principles. The ICC has since rejected challenges to its authority in relation to Israel’s actions in those territories.
The decision by the US to sanction Al Haq, Al Mezan, and PCHR highlights the growing divide between global calls for accountability and the political shielding of Israel by its allies. It has also sparked concern among international legal experts who say punishing organizations for seeking justice undermines the very idea of human rights protection.