Hungary has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court

Right -wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban invited his Israeli counterpart to Budapest in November, a day after the MNS issued his arrest warrant on charges of war crimes in Gaza, where Israel began its offensive after an attack by Hamas fighters against South Israel.

Israel has dismissed the allegations that he believes are politically motivated and fueled by anti -Semitism. According to him, the ICC has lost all legitimacy by issuing orders against a democratically elected leader of a country exercising the right to self -defense.

As a member of the ICC, Hungary is theoretically obliged to arrest and pass on anyone who has a court order, but Orban has made it clear that Hungary will not respect the decision he called « brazen, cynically and completely unacceptable ».

Hungary signed the ICC constituent document in 1999 and ratified it in 2001, but the law was not promulgated.

Gergay Guyash, head of Orban’s cabinet, said in November that although Hungary ratified the Roman status of the ICC, he « has never been part of the Hungarian legislation », which means that no measure of the court could be carried out in Hungary.

On Thursday, Guyash told the MTI state news agency that the government would start the withdrawal process later in the day.

Orban mentioned the prospect of Hungary from the ICC after US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on court prosecutor Karim Khan in February. « It’s time for Hungary to review what we are doing in an international organization that is under US sanctions, » Orban said in X in February.

The bill to initiate the one -year withdrawal process from the ICC is likely to be approved by the Parliament of Hungary, which is dominated by the Orban Party, Fidesz.

Netanyahu enjoyed strong support over the years by Hungarian President Orban, an important ally who was ready to block EU statements or actions criticizing Israel in the past.

The Judges of the ICC said, issuing the order that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and his former Minister of Defense were criminally responsible for actions, including murder, pursuit and hunger as a weapon of war as part of a « widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza ».

The Israeli campaign has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian health authorities, and has devastated the Gaza strip. The Hamas -led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 killed 1,200 people and saw more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli data.

The ICC also issued an arrest warrant against Hamas leader in November. His death was confirmed after the order was issued.