The United States has stepped up its pressure on the International Criminal Court (ICC), announcing on Wednesday sanctions against four ICC judges and prosecutors, including France’s Nicolas Guillot and Canada’s Kimberley Prost, over their involvement in investigations targeting U.S. and Israeli citizens.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move was in response to what he called the ICC’s “politicization,” stressing that the court poses “a threat to U.S. national security and has been used as a tool of legal warfare against the United States and its close ally, Israel.”

The sanctions include travel bans to the U.S., asset freezes, and a prohibition on financial transactions with the targeted individuals.

While Israel welcomed Washington’s decision, the ICC condemned the measures as “a blatant attack on judicial independence,” and France denounced the move, reaffirming its support for the court’s work.