US sanctions Palestinian officials over ICJ and ICC cases
The United States said on Thursday that it was placing sanctions on officials in the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) over their work taking Israel to international courts.
According to the State Department, the unnamed officials were “not complying with their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace”.
It cited “initiating and supporting actions at international organizations” and “taking actions to internationalize its conflict with Israel such as through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ)”.
Washington accused the figures of violating the PLO Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 (PLOCCA) and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002 (MEPCA).
Since the war on Gaza began in October 2023, Israel has found itself diplomatically isolated as a result of atrocities committed against Palestinians in Gaza and its occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
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It faces two cases at the ICJ, one over what the court called a “plausible” case for genocide in Gaza, and another for its occupation of Palestinian territories.
The former was filed by South Africa and is backed by several other states, and the latter is a result of a UN General Assembly resolution from 2022, calling for the ICJ to issue an advisory opinion on the legality of the occupation.
The draft motion for that resolution had been filed by the Palestinian mission to the UN.
At the ICC, prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former minister of defence, Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The US had previously sanctioned ICC prosecutor Karim Khan and had threatened Palestinian officials with sanctions for their role in using international law to bring Israel to account.
Washington's manoeuvre against the PA comes as momentum builds in the international community for recognition of a Palestinian state.
France has already announced that it will recognise the state of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly, while Canada and the UK have announced they will also recognise the state under conditions that leave the countries diplomatic space to backtrack.
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