Egypt Daily News – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to begin a four-day visit to Hungary on Thursday, defying an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over charges of war crimes in Gaza.
This visit comes at a time when Israel is expanding its military operations in the Gaza Strip. Hungary is a founding member of the ICC and is legally obligated to arrest anyone for whom an arrest warrant is issued by the court and hand them over. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made it clear when extending the invitation that Budapest would not enforce the decision.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with his Hungarian counterpart before holding a press conference around 10:00 GMT. He faces a political storm in Israel over an investigation into alleged ties between Qatar and three of his aides.
Netanyahu has rejected the accusations concerning his aides, calling them “fake news.” A Qatari official also denied the allegations, describing them as part of a “smear campaign” targeting Doha.
In Budapest, workers on Wednesday were constructing a platform at Buda Castle, where Orbán is set to welcome Netanyahu with a military ceremony on Thursday morning. Security forces were also seen near the hotel where Netanyahu will be staying in the city center.
This visit will mark Netanyahu’s second foreign trip since the ICC issued arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November. The details of the trip’s agenda remain unclear, except for a planned visit to a Holocaust memorial.
Netanyahu visited Washington in February to meet with his close ally, President Donald Trump. Neither Israel nor the United States are members of the ICC, as Washington asserts that the court could be used for politically motivated trials.
Orbán invited Netanyahu for the visit just one day after the ICC issued the arrest warrant against him, following allegations of war crimes in Gaza, where Israel is conducting a military operation in response to an attack by militants led by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on southern Israel, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages being taken.
The Israeli military operation has resulted in over 50,000 Palestinian deaths and the destruction of Gaza, sparking protests worldwide and prompting South Africa to file a separate lawsuit at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of committing genocide.
