Hungary’s incoming prime minister, Peter Magyar, has said that his government would fulfill its obligations as a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he entered the country.
The ICC issued its warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant back in 2024 over their role in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The court also sought warrants for three Hamas leaders, but they have all been killed by Israel.
Hungary’s outgoing leader, Viktor Orban, hosted Netanyahu in Budapest last year and announced his intention to withdraw Hungary from the ICC, something Magyar has said he will reverse.
Netanyahu spoke with Magyar last week after Magyar’s election victory and said that the prime minister-elect had invited him to Budapest, raising questions about Magyar’s position on the ICC warrant. When asked to clarify on Monday, Magyar said he had invited all the world leaders he had spoken with to the 70th anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet uprising, but that he would still enforce the warrant.
Magyar told reporters that he made it clear “even to the Israeli prime minister” that he intended to stop Hungary’s withdrawal from the ICC before it takes effect on June 2.
“If someone is a member of the International Criminal Court and a person who is wanted enters our country, then they must be taken into custody,” he said. “I don’t need to spell everything out over the phone. I assume that every head of state and government is familiar with these laws.”
