Hungary has officially announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the country. The move comes amid the ICC’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
According to a report by Reuters, the Hungarian government made the declaration on Thursday, reinforcing its alignment with Israel against the ICC’s legal actions.
In November last year, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Netanyahu, however, dismissed the charges as “anti-Semitic.”
British media outlet BBC reported that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced the decision following his invitation to Netanyahu. Orbán criticized the ICC, stating, “The court has turned into a political institution, and the warrant against the Israeli leader proves it.”
Despite the withdrawal announcement, ICC spokesperson Fadi El-Abdallah confirmed to the BBC that Hungary remains a member and is still legally obligated to cooperate with the court. However, it remains unclear whether Hungary will act on the arrest warrant against Netanyahu.
The ICC maintains that it has jurisdiction over Palestinian territories, although Israel does not recognize the court’s authority.
LND/BG
