Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu begins a four-day visit to Hungary on Thursday, the 3rd of April, defying an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant on Gaza war crimes charges as Israel expands its military operation in the enclave, announcing its intention to seize large parts of the enclave to bring it within a security zone to force Hamas to hand over 59 hostages still held in Gaza, according to Reuters.
Hungary, as a member of the ICC, is theoretically obliged to arrest and surrender anyone subject to a court order, but Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made it clear when he sent out the invitation that Hungary would not comply with the ruling.
In Budapest, workers on Wednesday were building a stage at the Buda Palace, where Orban planned to meet Netanyahu on Thursday, and security forces were visible outside the central Budapest hotel where Netanyahu will be staying.
This will be only his second visit abroad since the ICC issued arrest warrants for him and former defence minister Joav Gallant last November, but details of what he will do in Hungary are limited apart from a planned visit to the Holocaust memorial.
In February, he visited Washington to meet US President Donald Trump. Neither Israel nor the US are members of the ICC, and Washington claims that the ICC could be used for politically motivated prosecutions.
On Thursday, Hungary announced that it intends to withdraw from the ICC.
Orbán invited Netanyahu to visit the day after the ICC issued an arrest warrant on war crimes charges in Gaza.
Israel launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip after the devastating attack by Hamas militants that killed 1 200 people and took 251 hostages.
Since then, Israel’s campaign has killed more than 50 000 Palestinians and devastated the Gaza Strip, sparking worldwide protests and accusing Israel of genocide.
Israel has denied all accusations, which it claims are politically motivated and fuelled by anti-Semitism. It claims that the ICC has lost all legitimacy by issuing warrants against a democratically elected national leader who is exercising his right to self-defence.
Orbán echoed Israel’s condemnation of the court, describing its decision to issue warrants as “shameless, cynical and totally unacceptable”.
The ICC said in a statement that member states have a legal obligation to enforce the court’s rulings, adding that it is not for states to determine the validity of the court’s legal decisions.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Galant and Hamas commander Mohamed Deif. Deif’s death was confirmed after the warrants were issued. Prosecutors also requested warrants for Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, who helped plan the attack on Israel but were killed by Israel before they were approved.