Amal Clooney could be barred from entering US by President Donald Trump
The executive order threatened 'tangible and significant consequences' against others involved in the decision, which include freezing their property and blocking their entry into the US.
The Clooneys are said to spend most of their time in France and have homes in London and Italy, although they are currently in New York while George Clooney stars in the Broadway show Goodnight and Good Luck.
Trump's order set a 60-day deadline, which fell on April 7, for internal recommendations about other figures who should be sanctioned alongside Khan. So far, further sanctions have not been publicly announced.
Unanimous recommendations
Khan had asked his panel of legal experts to review the evidence against Netanyahu and Gallant before issuing the warrants, and Clooney said last year it was unanimous in its recommendations.
She claimed there were 'reasonable grounds to believe' the pair had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including 'starvation as a method of warfare, murder, persecution and extermination'.
'The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court asked me to assist him with evaluating evidence of suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel and Gaza,' she wrote on the Clooney Foundation for Justice website.
'I served on this panel because I believe in the rule of law and the need to protect civilian lives. The law that protects civilians in war was developed more than 100 years ago and it applies in every country in the world regardless of the reasons for a conflict.'
Netanyahu has criticised the arrest warrant, claiming it created a 'twisted and false moral equivalence between the leaders of Israel and the henchmen of Hamas'.
The court also charged three leaders of Hamas, the proscribed terrorist group, who have since been killed.
George Clooney is a long-time Democrat supporter who took a prominent role in last year's election campaign, appearing at fundraisers alongside Joe Biden, the former US President, before publicly urging him to drop out of the race.
In a 60 Minutes appearance in March, he criticised Trump for attacking press freedom, provoking an angry response from the President.
Clooney was a 'second-rate movie star' and 'failed political pundit', Trump said, calling the interview a 'puff piece'.
'He fought hard for Sleepy Joe's election and then, right after the debate, dumped him like a dog. Later, I assume under orders from the Obama camp, pushed all out for 'Kamala [Harris]', only to soon realise that that was not going to work out too well,' he wrote on his Truth Social account.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
6 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Israeli minister rejects Luxon's 'lost the plot' claim
By Giles Dexter of RNZ An Israeli minister has hit back at New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's comments that Benjamin Netanyahu has "lost the plot," accusing him of being unable to comprehend the challenges of facing Hamas. Yesterday Luxon described the war in Gaza as "utterly, utterly appalling" and Prime Minister Netanyahu was not listening to the international community. "I think Netanyahu has gone way too far. I think he has lost the plot," Luxon said. In a post on X, Israel's deputy minister of foreign affairs Sharren Haskel dismissed Luxon's concerns. "I guess when you don't really need an army because your most deadly enemy is a possum or a cat, you wouldn't comprehend the challenges that come with facing Hamas - a jihadist death cult - only a few kms away from your country, that rape, execute, burn alive and starve your people," she wrote. I guess when you don't really need an army because your most deadly enemy is a possum or a cat, you wouldn't comprehend the challenges that come with facing Hamas - a jihadist death cult - only a few kms away from your country, that rape, execute, burn alive and starve your… — Sharren Haskel השכל שרן (@SharrenHaskel) August 13, 2025 Yesterday's comments are the strongest the Prime Minister has used yet against Netanyahu, but Luxon said his language had been consistent. "What you have seen is Israel not listening to the global community at all. We have asked for humanitarian assistance to be delivered unfettered. It hasn't happened," he said. "We have said a forceable displacement of people and an annexation of Gaza would be a breach of international law. We have called these things out consistently, time and time again." The coalition government is considering whether to recognise Palestinian statehood, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month. Canada, Australia, France and the United Kingdom recently announced they would recognise, or plan to recognise, a Palestinian state. The New Zealand Jewish Council said it was concerned that recognising a Palestinian state without a comprehensive negotiated peace agreement might risk entrenching instability. President Juliet Moses said the council supported a two-state solution, but warned the government a "premature recognition" could undermine, rather than advance, the peace process. "We acknowledge and welcome the government's stated support for the release of all Israeli hostages, the disarmament and removal from power of Hamas, and the normalisation of relations between Israel and the Palestinians. These are vital steps," Moses said. "Recognising a Palestinian state without those conditions being met removes incentives for progress and does not explain what will happen if they are not achieved."
Otago Daily Times
6 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Trump threat if Putin blocks Ukraine peace
US President Donald Trump has threatened "severe consequences" if Russia's Vladimir Putin does not agree to peace in Ukraine. However, he also said a meeting between them could swiftly be followed by a second that would include the leader of Ukraine. Trump did not specify on Wednesday what the consequences could be, but he has warned of economic sanctions if his meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday proves fruitless. The comments by Trump and the outcome of a virtual conference with Trump, European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held on Wednesday could provide encouragement for Kyiv after fears the Alaska summit could end up selling out Ukraine by carving up its territory. However, Russia is likely to resist Ukraine and Europe's demands strongly and previously has said its stance had not changed since it was first detailed by Putin in June 2024. When asked if Russia would face any consequences if Putin does not agree to stop the war after Friday's meeting, Trump responded: 'Yes, they will.' Asked if those consequences would be sanctions or tariffs, Trump told reporters: 'I don't have to say. There will be very severe consequences." But the president also described the aim of the meeting between the two leaders in Alaska as "setting the table" for a quick follow-up that would include Zelenskyy. "If the first one goes okay, we'll have a quick second one," Trump said. "I would like to do it almost immediately, and we'll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they'd like to have me there." Trump did not provide a time frame for a second meeting. RED LINES European leaders and Zelenskyy had earlier spoken with Trump in a last-ditch call hosted by Germany to lay out red lines ahead of the Alaska meeting. "We had a very good call. He was on the call. President Zelenskyy was on the call. I would rate it a 10, very friendly," Trump said. French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump agreed Ukraine must be involved in any discussions about ceding land, while Zelenskyy said Trump had supported the idea of security guarantees in a post-war settlement. "President Trump was very clear that the United States wanted to achieve a ceasefire at this meeting in Alaska," Macron said. "The second point on which things were very clear, as expressed by President Trump, is that territories belonging to Ukraine cannot be negotiated and will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who hosted the virtual meeting, said the principle that borders could not be changed by force must continue to apply. "If there is no movement on the Russian side in Alaska, then the United States and we Europeans should ... increase the pressure," he said. "President Trump knows this position. He shares it very extensively and therefore I can say: We have had a really exceptionally constructive and good conversation with each other." Trump and Putin are due to discuss how to end the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict, the largest in Europe since World War 2. Trump has previously said both sides will have to swap land to end fighting that has cost tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions. RUSSIA MAKES SHARP ADVANCE INTO UKRAINE On a day of intense diplomacy, Zelenskyy flew to Berlin for the virtual conferences with European leaders and then with Trump. He and the Europeans worry that a land swap could leave Russia with almost a fifth of Ukraine, rewarding it for nearly 11 years of efforts to seize Ukrainian land, the last three in all-out war, and embolden Putin to expand further west. Russian forces have made a sharp thrust into eastern Ukraine in recent days in what may be an attempt to increase the pressure on Kyiv to give up territory. "I told the US president and all our European colleagues that Putin is bluffing (about his stated wish to end the war)," Zelenskyy said. "He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front. Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine." A source familiar with the matter said the call with Trump discussed possible cities that could host a three-way meeting, depending on the outcome of the talks in Alaska. Wary of angering Trump, European leaders have repeatedly said they welcome his efforts, while stressing that there should be no deal without Ukraine's participation. Trump's agreement last week to the summit was an abrupt shift after weeks of voicing frustration with Putin for resisting the US peace initiative. Trump said his envoy, Steve Witkoff, had made "great progress" at talks in Moscow. A Gallup poll released last week found that 69% of Ukrainians favour a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible. But polls also indicate Ukrainians do not want peace at any cost if that means significant concessions. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexei Fadeev earlier said Moscow's stance had not changed since last year. As conditions for a ceasefire and the start of talks, Putin had demanded Ukraine withdraw its forces from four regions that Russia has claimed as its own but does not fully control, and formally renounce plans to join NATO. Kyiv swiftly rejected the conditions as tantamount to surrender.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
War in Gaza: Israeli minister rejects Luxon's 'lost the plot' claim
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi An Israeli minister has hit back at Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's comments that Benjamin Netanyahu has "lost the plot," accusing him of being unable to comprehend the challenges of facing Hamas. On Wednesday, Luxon described the war in Gaza as "utterly, utterly appalling" and Netanyahu was not listening to the international community. "I think Netanyahu has gone way too far. I think he has lost the plot," Luxon said. In a post on X, Israel's deputy minister of foreign affairs Sharren Haskel dismissed Luxon's concerns. "I guess when you don't really need an army because your most deadly enemy is a possum or a cat, you wouldn't comprehend the challenges that come with facing Hamas - a jihadist death cult - only a few kms away from your country, that rape, execute, burn alive and starve your people," she wrote. The comments were the strongest the prime minister has used yet against Netanyahu, but Luxon said his language had been consistent. "What you have seen is Israel not listening to the global community at all. We have asked for humanitarian assistance to be delivered unfettered. It hasn't happened," he said. "We have said a forceable displacement of people and an annexation of Gaza would be a breach of international law. We have called these things out consistently, time and time again." The government is currently considering whether to recognise Palestinian statehood, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month. Canada, Australia, France, and the United Kingdom have also recently announced they will recognise, or plan to recognise, a Palestinian state. The New Zealand Jewish Council said it was concerned recognising a Palestinian state without a comprehensive negotiated peace agreement might risk entrenching instability. The council's president Juliet Moses said the council supported a two-state solution, but warned the government a "premature recognition" could undermine, rather than advance, the peace process. "We acknowledge and welcome the government's stated support for the release of all Israeli hostages, the disarmament and removal from power of Hamas, and the normalisation of relations between Israel and the Palestinians. These are vital steps," Moses said. "Recognising a Palestinian state without those conditions being met removes incentives for progress and does not explain what will happen if they are not achieved." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
