By Heraldviews
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived in Hungary, his first visit to a country that recognises the International Criminal Court (ICC) since it issued an arrest warrant for him last year.
The
warrant, issued in November, accuses Mr Netanyahu and former Defence Minister
Yoav Gallant of crimes against humanity in connection with Israel's
military campaign in Gaza. However, his arrest appears unlikely after Hungary's
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a staunch ally of Israel, vowed to ignore the
ICC's order.
Hungary Threatens ICC
Withdrawal
Hungarian
officials signalled on Thursday that the country may leave the ICC,
following Mr Netanyahu's arrival. Mr Orbán's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás,
told state media that Budapest was considering withdrawal.
Hungary,
while an ICC member state, has never incorporated the court's rules into
domestic law, meaning it has no legal obligation to detain the Israeli leader.
Netanyahu: "Increasing
Pressure" on Hamas
The
visit comes as Israel escalates military operations in Gaza, now in its 18th
month. Mr Netanyahu announced that Israeli forces had begun "seizing
territory" across the strip, including plans to establish a new
security corridor similar to the Philadelphi zone along Gaza's border
with Egypt.
"We
are cutting off the Strip and increasing pressure step by step until Hamas
releases our hostages," he said.
Defence
Minister Israel Katz earlier warned that "Operation Might and
Sword" would expand, with Israeli forces taking control of more areas
to create buffer zones.
Background: War and Failed
Ceasefires
- Israel's
offensive began after Hamas's 7 October attacks, which killed 1,200
people and saw 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli
officials.
- Gaza health
authorities say more than 50,000 have died in the conflict.
- A two-month
truce last year collapsed, with negotiations failing to secure
another pause in fighting.
- Israel has blocked
most aid into Gaza for over a month, the longest such closure since
the war began.
Calls for Hungary to Arrest
Netanyahu
Human
rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights
Watch, urged Hungary to uphold international law and detain Mr
Netanyahu. However, legal experts say enforcement is unlikely without domestic
legislation.
Orbán's
Controversial Stance
Despite
his support for Israel, Mr Orbán has faced accusations of antisemitism in
the past. In 2019, his government ran a campaign targeting George Soros, a
Hungarian-American Jewish philanthropist. Last year, billboards appeared
featuring Soros’s son alongside EU leaders with the slogan: "Let’s
not dance to their tune."
What Next?
- The ICC has no
enforcement power and relies on member states to act.
- Neither Israel
nor the US recognises the court's jurisdiction.
- With Hungary
likely to shield Mr Netanyahu, the warrant’s practical impact remains
limited.
The
visit underscores the deepening divide between international legal
institutions and some governments over Israel's actions in Gaza, with
diplomatic alliances trumping legal pressure for now.
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