Hungary’s far-right government under Prime Minister Viktor Orban has vowed not to honor the warrant, even though the country is an ICC member and theoretically obliged to comply.
The ICC issued warrants last November for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes linked to Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip. The court also back then issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri for his alleged crimes against humanity as well as war crimes.
Israel’s offensive began after thousands of Hamas militants staged a massive October 2023 incursion into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Since then, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in strikes that have razed swaths of the enclave.
Israel rejects the accusations, calling them politically motivated and antisemitic, while Orban has condemned the court’s warrant as “brazen, cynical, and completely unacceptable.” The ICC, however, insists member states are legally bound to enforce its rulings.
Continuing Gaza offensive, planned annexations
Amid the ongoing conflict, Israel has expanded its ground campaign in Gaza, signaling plans to annex additional territory for a “security zone” and forcibly evacuate large parts of the local population.
Israeli officials say their aim is to exert pressure on Hamas, which still holds 59 hostages. Meanwhile,
Prime Minister Netanyahu faces domestic controversy over an investigation into ties between Qatar and several of his aides, accusations he dismisses as “fake news.”
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Source: DW, Reuters, CNN, AP News