According to the Financial Times, the UK Foreign Office has warned several senior barristers that they may be subject to U.S. sanctions under the administration of Donald Trump, should he return to office. This comes in response to the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants in November against the Israeli leaders for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza.
In February, Trump signed an executive order authorizing financial sanctions and visa restrictions against ICC officials and their immediate families, calling the court’s actions “baseless.” While ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan has been publicly named as a target, Clooney who served on a panel of legal experts that reviewed the evidence and supported the charges could be among those next in line.
Clooney, 47, a respected international lawyer and wife of Hollywood actor George Clooney, contributed to a panel that concluded the ICC has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed during the Israel-Hamas conflict. The panel recommended accountability for both Israeli and Hamas leaders.
Should the sanctions extend to Clooney, she could be barred from entering the United States, where she lives with her husband and their twin daughters.
The ICC’s arrest warrants accuse Netanyahu and Gallant of knowingly depriving civilians in Gaza of essential humanitarian aid, in violation of international law. The court also issued a warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, said to be one of the masterminds behind the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and resulted in the kidnapping of 251 others. Israel has since confirmed that Deif was killed in a targeted strike in July.
As signatories to the 1998 Rome Statute, 124 countries including the UK, France, and Austria are obligated to arrest individuals named in ICC warrants, including Netanyahu and Gallant, should they enter their territories.
As of now, neither the White House nor representatives for Amal Clooney have issued public comments regarding the possible sanctions.
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