The U.S. government has imposed sanctions on three prominent Palestinian human rights organizations—Al-Haq, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights—in response to their request that the International Criminal Court investigate alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Specifically, these groups pressed the ICC in late 2023 to examine the impacts of Israeli airstrikes, the blockade of Gaza, and displacement of Palestinians. Their actions contributed to the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders in 2024.
Under the sanctions, the organizations are now listed by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, blocking any U.S. persons from providing them with funds, goods, or services and freezing any assets they may hold in the U.S. The stated rationale is that these groups have directly engaged in ICC-led efforts to investigate, apprehend, or prosecute Israeli nationals without Israel’s consent, a move the U.S. claims undermines national sovereignty.
The targeted NGOs swiftly condemned the sanctions, calling them “immoral, illegal, and undemocratic.” They vowed to continue cooperating with the ICC, despite the obstacles imposed. Their resolve reflects a broader commitment within civil society to pursue accountability amid escalating humanitarian crisis and documentation of alleged atrocities.
International human rights figures responded with pointed criticisms: the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the sanctions as unacceptable and urged their immediate reversal, warning such measures will stifle civil society participation globally. Similarly, Amnesty International decried the move as a brazen assault on human rights defenders and a dangerous precedent that weakens the international legal framework. Advocacy groups noted how these sanctions coincide with broader efforts to shield Israel from legal scrutiny while undermining the legitimacy of oversight mechanisms.
As these NGOs continue their work under intensified constraints, the broader implications for international justice and the safeguarding of human rights remain deeply contested.