**U.S. Sanctions ICC Judges for Actions Against U.S. and Israel**

The United States government, under the Trump administration, has enacted sanctions against four judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC). This move, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio from the White House on June 5, 2025, is a reaction to the ICC's recent initiatives that allegedly target both the U.S. and Israel.

According to Rubio, the sanctions come in direct response to the ICC's issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant in November. These actions, alongside the court's investigations into alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan, have been labeled "illegitimate" by Rubio.

The judges facing sanctions include Solomy Balungi Bossa from Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza from Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou from Benin, and Beti Hohler from Slovenia. Their roles in the court's decisions have purportedly led to these stringent measures from the U.S. government.

Expressing appreciation for the U.S. stance, Netanyahu released a statement on X, noting that Trump and Rubio's actions were a just defense of Israel's rights. The sanctions are a significant development in the ongoing tension between the ICC and nations resistant to its jurisdiction over alleged war crimes.