Trump orders International Criminal Court sanctions over Israel probe

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday placing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) for "baseless" investigations targeting the United States and Israel, the White House said.

The order states that the ICC had "abused its power" by issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who held talks with Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

The arrest warrant stems from Netanyahu's actions toward Palestinians in Gaza after the Hamas attack against Israel in October 2023. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the US, Israel and others.

The ICC's actions set a "dangerous precedent," according to the order. Among the sanctions is the banning of ICC officials from entering the United States.

Israel is a "close ally" of Washington's, the order states, adding that the ICC had used "illegitimate and baseless actions" before issuing the arrest warrant for Netanyahu.

Neither the US nor Israel are members of or recognize the Hague-based court.