Israel’s Gaza City push will cause more mass displacement: UN spokesman
The UN has expressed opposition to Israel’s plans to expand settlement units in the West Bank, calling the E1 scheme something that “will drive a stake through the heart of the two-state solution”.
“We stand against all settlement activity in the occupied territories which we view as illegal under international law,” Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for UN chief Antonio Guterres, told reporters in New York.
Dujarric expressed concern over the Israeli military’s intensified operations in Gaza City, which he said would “create another mass displacement of people who’ve been displaced repeatedly” since the war began.
He also said the UN views the ICC as “a key pillar of international criminal justice” amid new US sanctions against the court. “We’re very concerned about the decisions taken to further hit ICC officials with sanctions under the order that came out from the United States,” Dujarric said.
“The decision imposes severe impediments on the functioning of the office of the prosecutor and respect for all the situations that are currently before the court.”
Belgium reaffirms its ‘unwavering support’ for the ICC
Belgium has reiterated its opposition to US sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), warning that the measures undermine efforts to uphold justice and accountability.
“Belgium once again strongly regrets the new sanctions imposed by the United States against judges and deputy prosecutors of the International Criminal Court,” Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on X.
“As with previous sanctions, Belgium reaffirms its unwavering support for the ICC, its independence and its staff,” he added.
Prevot stressed that the ICC is a “cornerstone” of the rules-based international order, serving justice for victims of the gravest crimes on behalf of 125 states parties across all continents.
“Undermining the Court weakens our collective ability to combat impunity, uphold human dignity, and deliver accountability where national systems fail,” he said.
Well sanction the US then...
How did the ICC react to Trump’s latest sanctions?
The International Criminal Court (ICC) says it “deplores” today’s US sanctions against two of its judges and two deputy prosecutors.
“These sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 States Parties from all regions,” the ICC said in a statement.
“They constitute also an affront against the Court’s States Parties, the rules-based international order and, above all, millions of innocent victims across the world.”
The ICC also said it “stands firmly behind its personnel and victims of unimaginable atrocities” while pledging to “continue fulfilling its mandate, undeterred … and without regard to any restriction, pressure or threat”.
“The Court calls upon States Parties and all those who share the values of humanity and the rule of law to provide firm and consistent support to the Court and its work carried out in the sole interest of victims of international crimes,” it said.
