Hungary has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), following a visit by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing an ICC arrest warrant. The Hungarian government confirmed the decision, stating that the ICC ruling against Netanyahu would have no impact in their country. Hungary, a founding member of the ICC, will be the first European Union nation to withdraw from the court.
During a joint press conference, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban criticized the ICC as a “political court” and expressed support for Netanyahu following Hungary’s decision to leave the ICC. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar thanked Hungary for its stance alongside Israel, while Netanyahu condemned the ICC’s decision as “antisemitic.”
Hungary’s withdrawal from the ICC is aligned with its foreign policy under Orban, who has close ties with Israel and is critical of international institutions that he perceives as infringing on national sovereignty. While the withdrawal may have symbolic significance, it does not significantly impact the ICC’s operations.
The ICC had issued warrants against Netanyahu and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Israel has rejected the ICC’s authority and the legitimacy of the warrants, with Netanyahu calling the ICC “the enemy of humanity” and accusing it of being antisemitic.
The visit coincided with Israel’s announcement of an expansion of its Gaza offensive, as tensions continued to escalate in the region. Netanyahu’s visit to Hungary marked his first trip to Europe since the ICC warrants were issued. Sejak itu, serangan militer Israel telah menewaskan lebih dari 50.000 warga Palestina telah terbunuh, otoritas kesehatan di Gaza yang dikelola oleh Hamas mengatakan.