This escalation comes after targeted sanctions were already imposed on several prosecutors and judges in the court, but including the international judicial body itself in the sanctions list represents a qualitative leap towards direct confrontation. A source said that court officials held emergency internal meetings to assess the implications of these comprehensive sanctions, while two other sources confirmed meetings of diplomats from member states of the court to face the threat. Meanwhile, a senior American official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the option of sanctions on the court as a whole is under serious consideration, without disclosing an exact timeline for implementation.
To counter this, the court paid its employees’ salaries in advance for the remainder of 2025, according to three sources, as a precautionary step against sanctions. It has also begun searching for alternative suppliers for banking and software services, according to the same sources.
The International Criminal Court accused, last November, of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes during the Gaza War, and neither Israel nor the United States has joined the International Criminal Court, as Washington claims that the court can be used for politically motivated prosecutions.
