Trump imposes sanctions on ICC for probing Israel's war crimes

US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to its investigation into war crimes committed by Israeli officials in Gaza. Trump accused the ICC of "illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally, Israel."

The sanctions specifically target individuals employed at the ICC for investigating American citizens and US allies.

Trump signed the executive order on Friday, sparking criticism from ICC member countries. I tis pertinent to note the the US and Israel are not the memebers of the court.

Six months after prosecutor Karim Khan's request, the International Criminal Court (ICC) on November 21 issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Read More: “ICC is enemy of humanity,” says Netanyahu over his arrest warrants

A warrant for Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, the leader of the Hamas military, was also issued by the Hague-based court.

The European Union (EU) strongly condemned the move, stating that it "threatens the independence" of the court and "undermines the international criminal justice system as a whole."

Expressing regret over the sanctions, the EU warned that Trump's decision could negatively impact the ongoing war crimes investigation in Ukraine and weaken the court's ability to ensure international accountability.

Check: Israel will hand over Gaza to US after war ends: Trump

“The EU will be monitoring the implications of the executive order and will assess possible further steps,” the bloc’s spokesman said.