US sanctions 2 more ICC judges over Israel, ICC strongly rejects

The U.S. administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on two more International Criminal Court (ICC) judges after The Hague-based court rejected Israel's bid to block the ongoing probe into alleged crimes in Gaza, reported Xinhua.

The two ICC judges, Gocha Lordkipanidze and Erdenebalsuren Damdin, "have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel's consent," said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement.

The two judges voted with the majority in favor of the ICC's ruling against Israel's appeal on Monday, according to the statement.

The ICC on Thursday strongly rejected the new U.S. sanctions, saying "these sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution which operates pursuant to the mandate conferred by its States Parties from across regions."

"Such measures targeting judges and prosecutors who were elected by the States Parties undermine the rule of law. When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk," said the court in a statement.

The United States has previously sanctioned nine elected officials of the ICC's Judiciary and the Office of the Prosecutor, according to the court.

The ICC was established under the Rome Statute to prosecute genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The United States and Israel are not parties to the treaty.