The UK has no plans to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court, the prime minister’s spokesperson has confirmed.
It comes after US president Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the ICC over what he called the “illegitimate targeting of Israel and the US” this week.
Speaking to reporters on Friday about the US’s move against the international court, Keir Starmer’s representative said: “Ultimately, that’s a matter for the US.
“As for the UK, we support the independence of the ICC.
“Therefore, we’ve got no plans to sanction individual court officials.”
He later added: “The UK and the US – over a number of administrations – have taken a different view on the ICC.”
He pointed out that the UK is one of the 125 signatories to the Rome statute, which established the ICC, while the US is not (and neither is Israel).
Trump chose to impose sanctions on the court after The Hague’s investigation into Israel – a US ally – over its war in Gaza with Hamas while Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting Washington.
The court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024, accusing him of war crimes over his actions in the Palestinian territory following Hamas’ 2023 attack.
The order claimed the court had set a “dangerous precedent” with its actions against the US and Israel.
The US said it would have “tangible and significant consequences” on those responsible for the court’s “transgressions”.
The 2023 Gaza war began when Palestinian militants killed 1,200 people on Israeli soil on October 7, and took a further 250 hostage.
Israel declared war and ordered a land offensive into Gaza. According to local Hamas-run authorities, more than 46,700 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began.
Just before his inauguration, Trump pushed Hamas and Israel to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza on an agreement set up by his predecessor Joe Biden.
Starmer’s decision not to impose sanctions on the ICC comes after Downing Street also rejected Trump’s plan to force all Palestinians to leave Gaza.
The US president said he wanted to turn the territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East”, sparking widespread anger.
Starmer called for a two-state solution instead in the Commons this week.
He said: “I have two images fixed on my mind. The first is the image of [British Israeli hostage] Emily Damari with her mother, which I found extremely moving.
“The second was the image of thousands of Palestinians literally walking through the rubble to try to find their homes and their communities in Gaza.
“They must be allowed home, they must be allowed to rebuild and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution.”
