The United States on Wednesday defiantly expanded efforts to hobble the International Criminal Court over its prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sanctioning a judge from ally France.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also targeted a Canadian judge in a separate case in his latest volley of sanctions against the tribunal in The Hague, which is backed by virtually all other Western democracies as a court of last resort.

"The Court is a national security threat that has been an instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel," Rubio said in a statement, using a term popular with President Donald Trump's supporters.

He attacked the court for investigating US and Israeli citizens "without the consent of either nation."

Among the four people newly slapped with sanctions was Judge Nicolas Guillou of France, who is presiding over a case in which an arrest warrant was issued for Israeli Prime........

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