President Donald Trump don signed one executive order sanctioning di International Criminal Court, accusing am of “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel”. Di measure dey place financial and visa restrictions on individuals and dia families wey assist in ICC investigations of American citizens or allies. Trump sign di measure as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bin dey visit Washington.Last November, ICC issue arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes for Gaza, wey Israel deny. ICC also issue warrant for one Hamas commander....Read Full Article >>➤
Netherlands, wey dey host di court, say e “regret” Trump’s order.
“Di court work dey key in di fight against impunity,” Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp tok for X.
One White House memo wey circulate on Thursday accuse di Hague-based ICC of creating a “shameful moral equivalency” between Hamas and Israel by issuing di warrants at di same time.
Trump executive order say ICC recent actions “set a dangerous precedent” wey endanger Americans by exposing dem to “harassment, abuse and possible arrest”.
“Dis conduct in turn threaten to weaken di sovereignty of di United States and undermine di critical national security and foreign policy work of di United States government and our allies, including Israel,” di order tok.
US no be member of di ICC and don repeatedly reject any jurisdiction by di body over American officials or citizens.
White House accuse ICC of blocking Israel right to self-defence, while ignoring Iran and anti-Israel groups.
For im first term in office, Trump impose sanctions on ICC officials wey dey investigate whether US forces bin commit war crimes for Afghanistan. President Joe Biden administration bin lift those sanctions.
Last month, di US House of Representatives vote to sanction ICC, but di bill no fly for Senate.
More dan 120 countries be members of di court, including many European nations, but US and Israel no follow.
ICC na court of last resort and e work na to chook mouth only wen national authorities no fit or no wan prosecute.
Trump executive order say “both nations [US and Israel] be correct democracies with militaries wey dey strictly stick to di laws of war”.
During im last weeks in office, President Biden also criticise ICC warrant for Netanyahu, calling di move “outrageous” as e say Israel and Hamas no be di same tin.
Trump signing of im latest executive order follow im announcement during one joint press conference with di Israeli prime minister on Tuesday about one plan for US to “take over” Gaza, resettle im Palestinian population and turn di territory into di “Riviera of the Middle East”.
After Arab leaders and UN condemn di idea, US president tok am again on im Truth Social social media platform on Thursday.
“The Gaza Strip go dey turned over to di United States by Israel after di fighting,” Trump write, referring to di war between Israel and Hamas wey currently dey under a ceasefire.
E repeat say dat plan go involve resettling Palestinians, and say no American soldiers go dey deployed.
Im post no make am clear whether di two million residents of di Palestinian territory go dey invited to return, dis wan don make im officials dey explain tire.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tok on Wednesday say any displacement go dey temporary.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio say Gazans go leave for an “interim” period while reconstruction take place.
Netanyahu don praise Trump “remarkable” plan to re-make Gaza. On Thursday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz order di military to prepare for “voluntary departure” of Gaza residents.
E say di plan go include departures via land, sea and air.
Trump sign di order as Netanyahu continue im visit to Washington, meeting lawmakers from both di Republican and Democratic parties for Capitol Hill.
Israeli prime minister also present one golden pager to Trump.
Di gift na reference to Israel deadly operation against Hezbollah for September last year, wey involve di use of booby-trapped communications devices.
Plenty die and thousands injure for di attacks, including some civilians, according to Lebanese officials.
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