The US State Department has imposed sanctions on three Palestinian human rights groups—Al Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights (Al Mezan), and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)—for their efforts to engage the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating and potentially prosecuting Israeli leaders for war crimes allegedly committed in Gaza.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that these organizations have directly participated in attempts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals without Israel's consent.

The sanctions come after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as a deceased Hamas official, Mohammed Deif, in November 2023, for allegations of war crimes including 'starvation as a method of warfare' and other human rights violations.

This move is part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to challenge the ICC's jurisdiction over Israel, which is not a member of the ICC but has been targeted by the court for its actions in Gaza and other territories.

Critics argue that these sanctions undermine international justice and shield Israel from accountability for potential crimes.