The United States has imposed sanctions on three Palestinian human rights organizations that last year petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israel for alleged genocide in Gaza, according to a notice published Thursday on the Treasury Department’s website.
The Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, along with the Ramallah-based Al-Haq, were designated under what the Treasury described as “ICC-related” measures. The move underscores Washington’s hardening stance toward groups seen as backing international legal efforts against Israel.
In November 2023, the organizations formally urged the ICC to probe Israeli military actions in Gaza, citing widespread airstrikes on civilian areas, the blockade of the territory, and mass displacement. A year later, the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
President Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly rejected the ICC’s authority and previously sanctioned its chief prosecutor and judges. Those measures followed not only the Gaza-related warrants but also the court’s earlier decision to pursue a case involving alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan.
The ICC, founded in 2002, has jurisdiction over genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in its 125 member states. The U.S., Israel, China, and Russia are not members and do not recognize its authority.
The U.S. sanctions announcement comes just days after the International Association of Genocide Scholars passed a resolution asserting that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide. Israel dismissed that resolution as “disgraceful” and rooted in “Hamas’ campaign of lies.”
Israel began its offensive in Gaza in October 2023 following Hamas’ surprise assault on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and led to 250 hostages being taken. Since then, according to Palestinian officials and international monitors, Israeli military operations have killed more than 63,000 people, displaced nearly the entire population of the enclave at least once, and triggered famine conditions in parts of Gaza.
By sanctioning the Palestinian groups, Washington is sending a signal of continued opposition to the ICC’s involvement in the conflict, even as pressure mounts globally for accountability over the humanitarian crisis.
