Trump’s State Dept Condemns ICJ’s Pro-Hamas Gaza Ruling: “Corrupt, Politicized, and Anti-Israel”
President Donald Trump’s State Department delivered a scathing rebuke on Wednesday of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its latest advisory opinion demanding that Israel facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza — specifically through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), an entity long accused of harboring Hamas terrorists.
In a post on X, the State Department didn’t mince words: calling the opinion a “corrupt and nakedly politicized non-binding advisory opinion” and accusing the ICJ of giving UNRWA “a free pass” despite substantial intelligence linking it to Hamas terror activities.
State Dept: ICJ Is a “Partisan Political Tool”
“The ICJ’s ongoing abuse of its advisory opinion discretion suggests that it is nothing more than a partisan political tool, which can be weaponized against Americans,” the department wrote, warning that the court is undermining not only Israel’s right to defend itself, but the broader principles of sovereignty and law.
The ruling — while technically non-binding — carries international weight and comes amid a flurry of legal attacks on Israel from global institutions increasingly seen as hostile to Western-aligned democracies.
Israel Outraged Over Court’s UNRWA Demand
Israel’s Foreign Ministry categorically rejected the ruling, saying that no sovereign nation can be expected to cooperate with an organization “infested with terror activities.” Israeli intelligence has repeatedly uncovered Hamas tunnels, weapons stockpiles, and even command centers embedded in UNRWA schools and buildings.
More than 1,200 UNRWA employees have been linked to Hamas and Islamic Jihad by Israeli sources, and several participated in the October 7, 2023 massacre of civilians. The ICJ, however, found the evidence “insufficient,” brushing aside Israel’s national security concerns and ordering compliance with the UN agency anyway.
Vice President of the ICJ Julia Sebutinde issued a dissent, warning that the ruling ignores the dangers posed by Hamas infiltration and oversteps the court’s authority by appearing to mandate how humanitarian aid is delivered.
Echoes of Past Trump Foreign Policy
The fierce U.S. response marks a return to the Trump doctrine of unapologetic defense of national allies, particularly Israel, and aggressive resistance to globalist institutions perceived as biased.
During Trump’s first term, the administration sanctioned International Criminal Court officials over investigations into U.S. and Israeli personnel. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo famously declared that “the ICC is a political body, not a judicial institution.” That sentiment appears alive and well in the current administration.
The ICJ’s decision is just the latest in a pattern. In July 2024, the court declared Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria “unlawful,” echoing Palestinian demands for a full Israeli withdrawal. Meanwhile, the ICC continues to pursue arrest warrants for Israeli political and military leaders over their defensive operations in Gaza.
A Clear Message to the World
This week’s State Department statement sends a clear signal: the United States will not allow Israel’s sovereignty to be undermined by unelected global bodies that ignore terror threats in favor of politicized rulings. Nor will it recognize international court decisions that, in effect, ask allies to partner with terrorists to comply with so-called “humanitarian law.”
As Secretary Kristi Noem put it in a follow-up statement, “We do not take orders from unelected judges who ignore terrorism and reward those who use children as shields. America stands with Israel — and we always will.”