By Lawrence Williams
Palestinian human rights defenders are urging the European Union and the wider international community to impose diplomatic and economic sanctions on Israel, following U.S. sanctions on three leading Palestinian organizations pursuing accountability at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The Trump administration recently sanctioned Al Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) over their cooperation with the ICC in efforts to investigate and prosecute alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza “without Israel’s consent”. Washington argues that neither the U.S. nor Israel is party to the Rome Statute and therefore not subject to the ICC’s jurisdiction.
The three organizations, renowned for their advocacy and legal research, continue to document atrocities committed by Israeli forces in Gaza and push for international justice mechanisms to act.
In a joint statement on September 5, Al Haq, Al Mezan, and PCHR condemned the U.S. move as an attempt to silence Palestinian voices amid ongoing violence and oppression. They argue that the U.S. shielding of Israel from accountability amounts to “dismantling the international legal order and undermining the possibility of justice for victims of grave crimes anywhere.”
The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy also denounced the decision, accusing successive U.S. administrations of siding with Israel at the expense of Palestinian rights. It called for Israel’s exclusion from multilateral institutions and forums, stressing that U.S. sanctions would not deter Palestinian civil society from pursuing justice.
Al Haq further highlighted Israel’s continuing bombardment of Gaza, which it said has deliberately targeted journalists, civilians, and the very buildings housing Palestinian human rights groups.
“Israel has bombed and destroyed our offices, killed our colleagues and their families, and carried out systematic attacks to silence Palestinian journalists who document its destruction of Gaza,” the group said.
The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) described the U.S. sanctions as a blatant attempt to “silence free voices” that expose Israel’s actions. “This unjust decision is a direct result of these institutions’ professional and dedicated work in documenting genocide crimes against the Palestinian people, and their tireless struggle to achieve justice through the ICC and the International Court of Justice,” PNGO stated.
The organisations are now appealing to the EU to activate its ‘Blocking Statute’ to safeguard Palestinian human rights organizations, defenders, UN Experts, and the ICC from what they described as “unlawful U.S. sanctions.”
