Netanyahu to Visit Hungary Despite ICC Arrest Warrant, Amid Concerns Over Gaza Plans
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Hungary this week, despite an outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him for war crimes in Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.
The visit, announced by Netanyahu’s office on Sunday, is at the invitation of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The trip, planned from Wednesday to Sunday, takes place amidst Orban’s previous dismissal of the ICC warrant in November. Orban, known for his disputes with the EU, has stated that Hungary will not enforce the ICC’s decision.
According to reports from The Times of Israel, Netanyahu will use the visit to lobby for Hungarian support of a controversial plan attributed to Donald Trump, aimed at ethnically cleansing Gaza.
“Netanyahu is trying to build a coalition of as many countries as possible backing Trump’s plan for Gaza,” a source told the publication.
Trump’s alleged plan for Gaza, unveiled in February, envisions the removal of the Palestinian population and the territory’s transformation into a Mediterranean resort.
This marks Netanyahu’s second foreign trip since the ICC issued arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. In February, Netanyahu traveled to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump.
Israel has vehemently rejected the charges against its leaders, dismissing them as “false and absurd.” The ICC has also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri.
