On June 5, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the United States would impose sanctions on four judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC) as retaliation for ongoing investigations into U.S. military personnel and arrest warrants issued against high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This decision underscores the long-standing resistance of both the U.S. and Israel towards the ICC, which they argue undermines their sovereignty.

In his statement, Rubio specified the judges targeted: Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza (Peru), Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou (Benin), and Beti Hohler (Slovenia). Their actions specifically included authorizing investigations against U.S. personnel in Afghanistan and arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant. This recent move follows sanctions previously imposed in February on Karim Khan, the ICC's chief prosecutor, who initiated a case against Israel concerning its military actions in Gaza.

The sanctions, as outlined by the State Department, compel American entities to block and report any U.S.-based assets belonging to these judges while prohibiting Americans from engaging in business with them. Despite the ICC's broad mandate—established through the Rome Statute allowing it to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity—its enforcement mechanisms rely heavily on compliance from member states, and thus its effectiveness is often hampered by the absence of cooperation from powerful nations including the U.S., China, and Russia.

Rubio emphasized that the U.S. would take necessary actions to safeguard its sovereignty and that of its allies from what he described as "illegitimate actions" by the ICC. He also urged countries that support the ICC, whose freedoms, he claimed, were secured by U.S. sacrifices, to unite against what he termed a disgraceful attack on both America and Israel. The ICC's future remains uncertain as it navigates challenges with non-member states rejecting its jurisdiction.

This unfolding situation continues to raise concerns about international accountability and the broader dynamics of U.S.-Israel relations in the context of ongoing conflict and humanitarian crises.