The United States has imposed sanctions on three prominent Palestinian rights groups, Al-Haq, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), and Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, for their engagement with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating Israeli abuses.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions, stating that the groups were targeted for “directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent”.

The sanctions were imposed on Thursday, September 4, 2025, and the groups were added to the Department of the Treasury’s “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List”.

Rubio emphasized that the US would continue to respond with significant consequences to protect its troops, sovereignty, and allies from the ICC’s actions.

“The United States will continue to respond with significant and tangible consequences to protect our troops, our sovereignty, and our allies from the ICC’s disregard for sovereignty, and to punish entities that are complicit in its overreach,” Rubio said.

The three Palestinian rights groups condemned the sanctions in the strongest terms, describing them as “cowardly, immoral, illegal and undemocratic”.

“Only states with complete disregard to international law and our shared humanity can take such heinous measures against human rights orgs working to end a genocide,” the groups stated.

Mohsen Farshneshani, a sanctions lawyer and advisor at Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), described the sanctions as “shameful but not surprising”. “This administration bends over backwards to put Israel First every time,” Farshneshani wrote on social media.

The sanctions have been widely criticized by human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which work closely with the groups.

“The US is using its sanctions regime to do the bidding of the Israeli government, which has long systematically sought to muzzle human rights reporting and advocacy,” the organizations stated.

The sanctions are seen as part of a broader effort by the US to undermine Palestinian human rights groups and limit their ability to hold Israel accountable for its actions.

This is not the first time the US has imposed sanctions on Palestinian groups. In June, the Trump administration sanctioned Addameer, a human rights organization focused on Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

In July, the administration also sanctioned the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The sanctions have been met with widespread criticism, with many arguing that they are an attempt to undermine the Palestinian human rights movement and limit the ability of Palestinian groups to seek accountability for Israeli abuses.

The imposition of sanctions on Palestinian rights groups is part of a broader pattern of US support for Israel and its actions in the occupied territories.

The US has consistently vetoed UN Security Council resolutions condemning Israeli settlements and has provided significant military aid to Israel.

The sanctions on Palestinian rights groups are seen as a further attempt by the US to limit accountability for Israeli actions and undermine the Palestinian human rights movement.

The reaction to the sanctions has been swift, with many human rights organizations and activists condemning the move. “These measures in times of live genocide against our People, is a coward[ly], immoral, illegal and undemocratic act,” the Palestinian rights groups stated.

The sanctions are seen as a clear attempt to silence Palestinian voices and limit their ability to seek justice and accountability for Israeli abuses.

In conclusion, the US sanctions on Palestinian rights groups are a significant blow to the Palestinian human rights movement.

The sanctions are seen as an attempt to undermine the ability of Palestinian groups to seek accountability for Israeli abuses and to limit their ability to advocate for Palestinian rights.

The reaction to the sanctions has been swift, with many human rights organizations and activists condemning the move. The impact of the sanctions remains to be seen, but it is clear that they will have significant consequences for the Palestinian human rights movement.