BBC Information, White Home
Getty PhotographsPresident Donald Trump has signed an government order sanctioning the Worldwide Felony Court docket, accusing it of “illegitimate and baseless actions focusing on America and our shut ally Israel”.
The measure locations monetary and visa restrictions on people and their households who help in ICC investigations of Americans or allies.
Trump signed the measure as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting Washington.
Final November, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged warfare crimes in Gaza, which Israel denies. The ICC additionally issued a warrant for a Hamas commander.
A White Home reality sheet circulated earlier on Thursday accused the Hague-based ICC of making a “shameful ethical equivalency” between Hamas and Israel by issuing the warrants on the similar time.
Trump’s government order stated the ICC’s latest actions “set a harmful precedent” that endangered Individuals by exposing them to “harassment, abuse and potential arrest”.
“This malign conduct in flip threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the US and undermines the important nationwide safety and international coverage work of the US authorities and our allies, together with Israel,” the order stated.
It provides that “each nations [the US and Israel] are thriving democracies with militaries that strictly adhere to the legal guidelines of warfare”.
The US shouldn’t be a member of the ICC and has repeatedly rejected any jurisdiction by the physique over American officers or residents.
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The White Home accused the ICC of putting constraints on Israel’s proper to self-defence, whereas accusing the physique of ignoring Iran and anti-Israel teams.
Trump has repeatedly criticised the court docket, and took a number of steps to sanction the physique throughout his first time period in workplace.
On the time, he imposed sanctions on ICC officers who had been investigating whether or not US forces had dedicated warfare crimes in Afghanistan. These sanctions had been lifted by President Joe Biden’s administration.
Final month, the US Home of Representatives voted to sanction the ICC, however the invoice foundered within the Senate.
The ICC was based in 2002 – within the wake of the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the Rwandan genocide – to analyze alleged atrocities.
Over 120 nations have ratified the the Rome Statute – which constituted the ICC – whereas one other 34 have signed and will ratify sooner or later.
Neither the US nor Israel is occasion to the Rome Statute.
The ICC is a court docket of final resort and it’s meant to intervene solely when nationwide authorities can not or is not going to prosecute.
Throughout his time in workplace, President Biden additionally criticised the ICC’s warrant for Netanyahu, calling the transfer “outrageous” and saying there was no equivalence between Israel and Hamas.
Trump’s signing of his newest government order follows his announcement throughout a joint press convention with the Israeli prime minister on Tuesday of a plan for the US to “take over” Gaza, resettle its Palestinian inhabitants and switch the territory into the “Riviera of the Center East”.
After Arab leaders and the UN condemned the thought, the US president restated it on his Reality Social social media platform on Thursday.
“The Gaza Strip can be turned over to the US by Israel on the conclusion of combating,” Trump wrote.
He repeated that the plan would contain resettling Palestinians, and that no American troopers can be deployed.
His publish didn’t clarify whether or not the 2 million residents of the Palestinian territory can be invited to return, leaving officers scrambling to clarify.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Wednesday that any displacement can be short-term.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated Gazans would go away for an “interim” interval whereas reconstruction occurred, below the proposal.
Trump signed the order as Netanyahu continued his go to to Washington, assembly lawmakers from each the Republican and Democratic events on Capitol Hill.
The Israeli prime minister additionally introduced a golden pager to Trump.
The reward was a reference to Israel’s lethal operation in opposition to Hezbollah in September final yr, utilizing booby-trapped communications gadgets.
Dozens of individuals had been killed and 1000’s injured within the assaults.
Israel stated it was tailor-made to hit solely members of the Iran-backed group, however Lebanese officers stated civilians had been among the many victims.
