Israel’s Netanyahu heads to Hungary, defying ICC arrest warrant
News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 2nd April 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu starts a four-day trip to Hungary on Thursday, challenging an International Criminal Court arrest warrant regarding accusations of war crimes in Gaza as Israel has intensified its military campaign in the territory.
Hungary, as a founding member of the ICC, is theoretically required to detain and transfer anyone under a court-issued warrant; however, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban explicitly stated when he extended the invitation that Hungary would disregard the ruling.
Netanyahu, facing a political upheaval domestically related to an inquiry into alleged connections between Qatar and three of his staff, is set to meet Orban prior to a press conference scheduled for approximately 1000 GMT.
Netanyahu dismissed the claims about his aides as “false reports.” A Qatari representative has rejected the claims as a “smear campaign” targeting Qatar.
In Budapest, on Wednesday, workers were building a stage at Buda Castle for a ceremony with military honours, where Orban was set to greet Netanyahu on Thursday morning, while security forces were present around the central hotel where Netanyahu will be lodging.
This trip will mark just the second occasion he has traveled overseas since the International Criminal Court released arrest warrants for him and ex-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant last November, though specifics of his itinerary remain scarce aside from a scheduled stop at a Holocaust memorial.
In February, he traveled to Washington to meet with his close associate, U.S. President Donald Trump. Both Israel and the United States are not members of the ICC, with Washington contending that the ICC could be utilized for prosecutions driven by political motives.
Orban invited Netanyahu to visit a day after the ICC issued its arrest warrant over allegations of war crimes in Gaza, where Israel launched an offensive following a devastating attack by thousands of Hamas fighters, that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.
