Gaza Genocide Allegations Put Trump and Rubio in ICC Crosshairs

U.S. taxpayers and international human rights attorneys submitted evidence Wednesday to the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling for arrest warrants for President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The filing centers on U.S. weapons and money.

The submission alleges Trump, Rubio and other senior U.S. officials aided and abetted genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel in Gaza. It also seeks an investigation by the court’s Office of the Prosecutor.

The delegation held a press conference in The Hague after the filing. Participants included Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories; human rights attorney Huwaida Arraf; and Palestinian American author Susan Abulhawa.

Weapons and Funding Anchor Case

The Taxpayer Alliance Against Genocide (TAAG) organized the filing. It argues that U.S. officials played an indispensable role in enabling Israel’s military operations.

TAAG says that role came through the continued provision of weapons, financial assistance, diplomatic protection and political support. Those four forms of backing anchor the case.

Israeli officials have themselves acknowledged their military’s dependence on American assistance. In September 2024, a senior Israeli Air Force official said Israel would have struggled to sustain the war for more than a few months without U.S. weapons.

In October 2024, former Mossad intelligence director Zohar Palti said, “Without the U.S. weapons, Israel cannot fight.” Both comments point to Israel’s reliance on U.S. weapons.

Neither remark came from the delegation. Both bolster the claim that U.S. support was central to Israel’s military operations.

Evidence Behind the ICC Submission

The evidence includes sworn affidavits from doctors who worked in Gaza, firsthand eyewitness accounts and whistleblower testimony. Video evidence is also included.

It also contains extensive documentation of U.S. military, financial, diplomatic and political support for Israel. Individuals and organizations working with TAAG gathered the material over nearly a year.

Testimony also comes from Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma surgeon who has twice served in Gaza, and David McIntosh, a former manager with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Both have direct knowledge of conditions and operations in Gaza.

The allegations have not been adjudicated. The filing does not mean the ICC has accepted the claims or decided to pursue arrest warrants against any U.S. official.

Sanctions Loom Over ICC Push

The filing comes amid escalating efforts by the United States and Israel to challenge the court’s authority. Those efforts include U.S. sanctions on individuals involved in international accountability efforts.

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on ICC officials and on Albanese. Human rights advocates have raised concerns about the measures.

They say such moves obstruct investigations and deter cooperation with international legal institutions. TAAG’s recent federal court victory, a preliminary injunction, protects its First Amendment right to share evidence with the ICC.

Delegation Demands End to Impunity

At the press conference, delegation members and advocates called for an end to impunity for U.S. officials. They allege those officials helped enable atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza.

“International law remains the last peaceful instrument we possess to confront injustice and pave the way forward,” Albanese said. She said the legal tools are peaceful, but “what is missing is the political courage to use them.”

She said TAAG is showing that courage, which is why “today’s gathering matters.” She called Palestine “the litmus test of international justice” and tied it to what can be achieved “for the people of Palestine and beyond.”

The delegation called on the ICC Office of the Prosecutor to investigate the evidence and pursue criminal accountability where warranted. It also asked the court to demonstrate that no government official is above international law.

The delegation framed the filing as a challenge to impunity for those who finance, arm, aid and abet genocide. It alleges that senior U.S. officials fall within that group.