GENEVA

France said Wednesday it "learned with dismay” of the US' newly imposed sanctions against four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including a French national, and called for all such measures to be withdrawn.

“France has learned with dismay of the new US sanctions against the International Criminal Court against four of its judges, including a French judge,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Paris urged Washington to withdraw all sanctions imposed under the presidential decree of Feb. 6, 2025, stressing that such measures “constitute an attack on the Court and all 125 States Parties to the Rome Statute and are contrary to the principle of judicial independence.”

The ministry expressed solidarity with the judges targeted by the decision and reaffirmed "unwavering support for the ICC and its staff," whose role it described as "essential in the fight against impunity."

"Together with its European partners and the other States Parties to the Rome Statute, (France) is working to ensure that the Court can continue to fulfill its mission independently and impartially, in order to deliver justice to the victims of the most serious crimes," it added.

The US sanctioned four ICC officials Wednesday, including a judge who authorized the arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, devastating the enclave, which faces famine. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.