Overview
- Hungary’s incoming leader Péter Magyar, who spoke to reporters Monday, said he will stop the country’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court before it takes effect on June 2.
- Magyar said ICC members must detain anyone under an active warrant, so Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be taken into custody if he entered Hungary while the warrant stands.
- He said he told Netanyahu this directly after the election, and the invitation for an October commemoration remains in place, with Israeli readouts saying Netanyahu accepted.
- Under Viktor Orbán, Hungary hosted Netanyahu in April 2025 without arrest and moved to leave the ICC, a stance Magyar now rejects as he commits to keep Hungary in the court.
- The ICC issued the warrant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to the Gaza war, and several European governments have argued that sitting leaders may be shielded by other international law obligations, including Article 98 on diplomatic immunity, which could lead to uneven enforcement across the EU.