Hungary is set to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), a significant decision that follows the recent visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the country, where he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Netanyahu, who faces allegations of war crimes in Gaza and is wanted by the ICC, received a ceremonial welcome upon arrival, including an honor guard and greetings from Hungarian Minister of Defense Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Israeli Ambassador to Hungary Maya Kadosh.
His stay in Hungary is expected to last four days.
As a founding member of the ICC, Hungary is legally obligated to arrest individuals wanted by the court and extradite them. However, Prime Minister Orban has characterized the ICC’s warrant for Netanyahu as “brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable.”
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On Thursday, Orban’s Chief of Staff, Gergely Gulyas, announced that Hungary would initiate the withdrawal process from the ICC later that day.
This development is not unexpected, as Orban had previously questioned Hungary’s participation in the ICC in February, following President Donald Trump’s imposition of sanctions against the court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan.
Orban tweeted in February, “It’s time for Hungary to review what we’re doing in an international organization that is under U.S. sanctions.”
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It is anticipated that Hungary’s parliament, which is controlled by Orban’s Fidesz Party, will approve the bill necessary to commence the year-long withdrawal from the ICC, as reported by Reuters.
Orban has consistently supported Netanyahu and has frequently acted to obstruct EU statements or actions that criticize Israel.
Israel has rejected the ICC’s accusations, which surfaced following its military actions against Hamas after the terrorist group’s attack on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel, resulting in 1,200 fatalities and over 250 hostages.
When the ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense chief, Yoav Gallant, it cited evidence suggesting that both individuals participated in crimes such as murder, persecution, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.
According to the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel’s actions in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of over 50,000 Palestinians.
