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Bernd Debusmann Jr
BBC News, White House
Getty Images
Trump beforehand sanctioned ICC officers throughout his first time period in workplace in 2020.
President Donald Trump has signed an government order sanctioning the International Criminal Court, accusing it of “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel”.
The measure locations monetary and visa restrictions on people and their households who help in ICC investigations of American residents or allies.
Trump signed the measure as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting Washington.
Last November, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged struggle crimes in Gaza, which Israel denies. The ICC additionally issued a warrant for a Hamas commander.
A White House truth sheet circulated earlier on Thursday accused the Hague-based ICC of making a “shameful moral equivalency” between Hamas and Israel by issuing the warrants on the similar time.
Trump’s government order mentioned the ICC’s latest actions “set a dangerous precedent” that endangered Americans by exposing them to “harassment, abuse and possible arrest”.
“This malign conduct in turn threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States government and our allies, including Israel,” the order mentioned.
It provides that “both nations [the US and Israel] are thriving democracies with militaries that strictly adhere to the laws of war”.
The US isn’t a member of the ICC and has repeatedly rejected any jurisdiction by the physique over American officers or residents.
International Criminal Court: What is the ICC and what does it do?
The White House accused the ICC of inserting 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.
At the time, he imposed sanctions on ICC officers who had been investigating whether or not US forces had dedicated struggle crimes in Afghanistan. Those sanctions had been lifted by President Joe Biden’s administration.
Last month, the US House 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 international locations 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.
Can Trump actually take possession of Gaza?
During 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 Middle East”.
After Arab leaders and the UN condemned the concept, the US president restated it on his Truth Social social media platform on Thursday.
“The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting,” Trump wrote.
He repeated that the plan would contain resettling Palestinians, and that no American troopers can be deployed.
His put up didn’t clarify whether or not the 2 million residents of the Palestinian territory can be invited to return, leaving officers scrambling to elucidate.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned on Wednesday that any displacement can be momentary.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned Gazans would go away for an “interim” interval whereas reconstruction occurred, underneath 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 offered a golden pager to Trump.
The present was a reference to Israel’s lethal operation towards Hezbollah in September final yr, utilizing booby-trapped communications gadgets.
Dozens of individuals had been killed and 1000’s injured within the assaults.
Israel mentioned it was tailor-made to hit solely members of the Iran-backed group, however Lebanese officers mentioned civilians had been among the many victims.
Watch: Netanyahu items Trump a golden pager throughout US go to
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