EDITORNEWS.ID – Hungary’s elected Prime Minister (PM), Peter Magyar, emphasized that his country would take firm steps by arresting Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, if he entered Hungarian territory.
This statement immediately attracted international attention because it was related to the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Netanyahu.
It is known that the ICC has issued an arrest warrant in November 2024 on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the conflict in Gaza.
As a member state of the ICC, Hungary has a legal obligation to detain individuals subject to arrest warrants upon entering its territory.
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Magyar’s firm stance differs from the policy of the previous government under Viktor Orbán. When Netanyahu visited Budapest in April 2025, the government made no arrests.
In fact, before the visit, Orbán had announced plans to withdraw Hungary from ICC membership. The withdrawal process takes one year to become effective.
These conditions practically provide temporary protection for Netanyahu during the transition period, so that he is not detained while in Hungary.
However, Magyar, who won the election on April 12 2026, confirmed that the process of withdrawing Hungary’s membership from the ICC would be stopped on June 2.
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The date coincides with one year since the official notification was sent to the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.
He emphasized that his government wants to ensure that Hungary remains a member of the ICC and complies with applicable international legal obligations.
Responding to Netanyahu’s planned visit to Hungary this fall, Magyar reiterated his commitment to these rules.
According to him, every ICC member country is obliged to act if individuals rush into their territory.
“If a country is a member of the ICC and someone wanted by the ICC enters our territory, then that person must be detained,” Magyar stressed.
This statement is considered to have the potential to trigger new diplomatic tensions, as well as marking a significant change in the direction of Hungary’s foreign policy under the new leadership.***
