Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu begins a four-day visit to Hungary on Monday, ignoring an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for his arrest on charges of war crimes in Gaza, Reuters reports, BTA reports.
As a founding member of the ICC, Hungary is theoretically obligated to arrest and extradite anyone for whom the court has issued a warrant. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made it clear that he would not carry out the warrant when he invited the Israeli prime minister to visit.
Netanyahu has been embroiled in a political storm in Israel over the investigation into alleged ties between three of his aides and Qatar. The prime minister dismissed the claims as "fake news", while Qatar called them a "slander campaign" against the country.
Netanyahu and Orban are expected to meet tomorrow at 1 p.m. Bulgarian time, followed by a joint press conference. In Budapest, a stage is being set up in front of the Buda Castle, where Orban will welcome Netanyahu with military honors.
There is a heavy police presence outside the hotel in central Budapest where the Israeli prime minister will stay. Details of the visit's program have not been released, but it is known that a visit to a Holocaust memorial is planned.
This is Netanyahu's second international visit since the ICC issued an arrest warrant last November, which also concerns former Defense Minister Yoav Galant. Israel has denied all charges, calling them politically motivated and based on anti-Semitism.
In February, the Israeli prime minister visited Washington for a meeting with US President Donald Trump, a close ally of his. Israel and the US are not members of the ICC, and Washington says the institution can be used for politically motivated prosecutions.
Orban invited Netanyahu to visit a day after the arrest warrant was issued in connection with war crimes charges in Gaza. Israel launched an offensive in the enclave after an attack by Hamas militants that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
Netanyahu's visits to Hungary come amid Israel's renewed war on Gaza, aimed at pressuring Hamas to hand over the remaining 59 hostages. From October 2023 The Israeli campaign has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians so far, and the Gaza Strip has been almost completely devastated. This has sparked massive protests around the world.
South Africa has launched a separate legal case at the UN International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide.