The Trump administration has issued a forceful rebuke of five U.S. allies after they imposed sanctions on two senior Israeli officials.

The move by the U.K., Norway, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia drew a sharp response from Washington, which called on the nations to reverse course.

In a statement on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the sanctions placed on Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. “These sanctions do not advance U.S.-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war,” Rubio said. “We reject any notion of equivalence: Hamas is a terrorist organization that committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage, and prevents the people of Gaza from living in peace. We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is. The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel.”

Ben-Gvir responded to the U.S. statement by thanking Rubio and calling the Trump administration “a moral compass in the face of the confusion of some Western countries that choose to appease terrorist organizations like Hamas.” He said Israel would not back down from its campaign against terrorism.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also issued a statement thanking Rubio for being “a clear moral voice” and said Rubio’s comments “should be a compass to the international community, to all those preaching [to] Israel, ignoring realities.” Sa’ar went on to condemn the sanctions as “outrageous” and said the move “contributes to hardening Hamas’ stance in the negotiations for the hostage deal—and distance it and the ceasefire.”

The joint action by the five countries was announced earlier this week. In a coordinated statement, their foreign ministers accused the two Israeli ministers of inciting “extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights.” All five governments have previously criticized Israel’s conduct in its war with Hamas, which began in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks.

In December 2024, Australia and New Zealand jointly called for a ceasefire in Gaza and condemned Israel’s treatment of UN agencies, specifically the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at other Western leaders for pressuring Israel to halt military operations. “I say to President Macron, Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer: When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you’re on the wrong side of justice,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. “You’re on the wrong side of humanity and you’re on the wrong side of history.”