Hungary’s Prime Minister-elect Peter Magyar said Monday that his country must take Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into custody if he enters Hungarian territory while wanted by the International Criminal Court, Politico reported.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, as well as for former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. ICC member countries are in principle obliged to detain individuals subject to such warrants.
Hungary, then led by outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, denounced the ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu and Gallant, and later announced that it would withdraw from the ICC altogether.
Netanyahu received a red-carpet welcome from Orban during a visit in April of 2025 despite the active ICC arrest warrant against him, leading the ICC to formally report Hungary to the court’s oversight body for its failure to arrest Netanyahu.
Magyar, however, has announced he will halt the ICC withdrawal by June 2, which would be a year after Hungary filed a formal withdrawal notification to the UN Secretary-General.
Asked by reporters on Monday what this would mean for Netanyahu’s planned visit this fall, as he has already accepted Hungary’s invite, Magyar replied, “I made this clear to the Israeli prime minister as well … it is the Tisza government’s firm intention to stop this and ensure that Hungary remains a member of the ICC."
He added, “If a country is a member of the ICC and a person who is wanted by the ICC enters our territory, then that person must be taken into custody."
There have been differing interpretations among European countries on how to handle the warrants. Some countries argue they can remain ICC members without enforcing such warrants.
France has stated that Netanyahu has immunity from ICC actions because Israel has not ratified the court’s statutes. Similarly, Italy has argued that arresting Netanyahu would not be feasible while he remains in office as Israel's Prime Minister.
Germany’s then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in April 2025 that he couldn’t imagine his country arresting Netanyahu. His successor, Friedrich Merz, later indicated a fundamental willingness to permit Netanyahu to visit Germany, stating, "Fundamentally, an Israeli prime minister must be able to travel to Germany."
The Netherlands suggested that there could be ways for Netanyahu to visit the Netherlands without being arrested, despite the ICC arrest warrant against him.