The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to its arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, relating to Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The vote, which passed 243 to 140, supports the “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,” aimed at sanctioning any foreign individuals who investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute U.S. citizens or citizens of allied nations, including Israel, who are not members of the court.
Forty-five Democrats joined 198 Republicans in backing the bill, with no Republican voting against it.
“America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally, Israel,” said Representative Brian Mast, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, during a speech before the vote.
The House vote, one of the first since the new Congress convened last week, highlighted strong support among President-elect Donald Trump’s Republican allies for Israel’s government, now that Republicans control both chambers of Congress.
The ICC expressed concern over the bill, warning that it could deprive victims of international atrocities of justice. “The court firmly condemns any actions intended to threaten its officials, undermine its independence, and deny millions of victims justice and hope,” the ICC stated.
Under President Trump, the U.S. imposed sanctions on the ICC in 2020 in response to investigations into war crimes in Afghanistan, including allegations involving U.S. citizens.
President Biden’s administration lifted those sanctions, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicated in May 2024 that the U.S. might work with Congress to impose new sanctions in light of the ICC’s request for arrest warrants for Israeli leaders.
In 2018, ICC officials had their bank accounts and credit cards frozen, and U.S. travel was restricted. The court’s president, Judge Tomoko Akane, warned in December that such measures could severely undermine the court’s operations and threaten its existence.
The ICC is a permanent institution that prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression within member states or by their nationals.
