US Sanctions Palestinian Rights Groups Over ICC Probe Into Israel, Labels Efforts 'Illegitimate Targeting'

Washington DC: The United States has imposed sanctions on three Palestinian human rights organisations accused of pushing the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israel over alleged genocide in Gaza.

The Treasury Department on Thursday, September 4, confirmed that Al-Haq, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and the Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights were added to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.

Washington’s Position on the ICC

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the groups were being punished for having “directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent,” according to Al Jazeera. He described the process as “illegitimate targeting of Israel.”

The move comes a year after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri, citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The warrants followed petitions from Palestinian organisations that documented Israeli airstrikes on densely populated areas of Gaza in November 2023, along with evidence of blockade and mass displacement.

Palestinian Groups Condemn Sanctions

In a joint statement, the three organisations said they condemned “in the strongest terms the draconian sanctions” imposed by the Trump administration, reported Al Jazeera. Ramallah-based Al-Haq has been central in pursuing international litigation, while Gaza City’s PCHR and Al-Mezan have focused on documenting violations during the ongoing war.

The United States has a history of clashing with the ICC, having previously sanctioned judges and the chief prosecutor during probes into alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan. Rubio reiterated that Washington would “continue to respond with significant and tangible consequences to protect our troops, our sovereignty, and our allies from the ICC’s disregard for sovereignty, and to punish entities that are complicit in its overreach.”

The sanctions follow a resolution by a global association of genocide scholars which said that Israel meets the legal criteria for genocide in Gaza. Israel dismissed the resolution as “entirely based on Hamas' campaign of lies.”