• The US has sanctioned three Palestinian NGOs, accusing them of aiding ICC investigations into Israeli officials.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated these sanctions target organizations without Israel's consent regarding ICC actions.
• UN rights chief Volker Turk condemned the sanctions as "unacceptable," warning of their potential chilling effect on civil society.
• Palestinian authorities and global human rights organizations have condemned the sanctions as a severe attack on accountability and justice.
• The sanctions are part of a broader US strategy to undermine the ICC, which has issued warrants for Israeli officials over alleged war crimes.

The United States has sanctioned three leading Palestinian human rights organizations—Al-Haq, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), and the Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights—accusing them of supporting International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations into Israeli officials. This decision, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has been justified based on the claims that the organizations have "directly engaged in efforts" against Israeli nationals, framing the ICC's actions as illegitimate and unauthorized by Israel, according to Indiatimes, Al Jazeera, and TRT Global.

The sanctions have drawn widespread condemnation globally, including from UN human rights chief Volker Turk, who characterized them as "completely unacceptable." He emphasized that these NGOs have been vital in documenting human rights violations and that the sanctions threaten to have a chilling effect on civil society both in the occupied territories and globally. Amnesty International has also called these measures a "deeply troubling and shameful assault" on human rights and the pursuit of justice, highlighting the critical work these organizations perform under dire conditions, as reported by Le Monde, TRT Global, and Le Monde.

The Palestinian Justice Ministry denounced the US decision as "a serious and unacceptable targeting of Palestinian civil society." The ministry urged the US to reverse its position and called on the international community to protect these organizations, which are crucial for documenting violations of international laws against the Palestinian people. Furthermore, it views these sanctions within the broader context of ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to challenge the ICC's authority, particularly after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders earlier in the year, according to TRT Global, Al Jazeera, and TRT Global.

In response to the sanctions, the affected organizations have released a joint statement condemning the US measures, claiming they are aimed at upholding Israel’s apartheid regime and suppressing Palestinian advocacy. They argue that the sanctions are part of a long-standing effort to delegitimize and undermine Palestinian civil society's efforts to hold Israel accountable for its actions. These developments underline the complex dynamics of international law and human rights advocacy in the midst of geopolitical tensions, as reported by Le Monde, Al Jazeera, and TRT Global.