This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
On the eve of a planned visit, Human Rights Watch on Friday has called on Hungarian authorities to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters the country, Anadolu reports.
The visit, set to start Saturday, comes weeks before Hungary’s April 12 general elections.
“Despite its move to leave the ICC (International Criminal Court), Hungary is still a member country and is still obligated to arrest and surrender individuals wanted by the court,” said Alice Autin, international justice researcher at Human Rights Watch.
“By flouting this obligation, for the second time in less than a year, Hungary would further entrench impunity for serious crimes in Palestine and once again betray victims who have been denied justice for far too long,” she added.
The call comes after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in 2024 over alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza since October 2023.
Both remain fugitives from the ICC.
Netanyahu previously visited Hungary in April 2025 without being arrested. Hungary has formally announced its intention to withdraw from the ICC treaty, effective this June 2, sparking criticism from international lawyers and civil society.
READ: Israeli reservist detained over alleged leak of Iron Dome secrets to Iran
Human Rights Watch also decried ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon, Gaza, and against Iran, stressing the “urgent need to respect the rule of law and support credible avenues for justice.”
The organization also called on EU and ICC member states to press Hungary to reverse its withdrawal and cooperate with the court.
“(Prime Minister Viktor) Orban’s government is about to roll out the red carpet again for Netanyahu, when it is obligated to arrest him,” Autin said. “Silence and persistent inaction from the EU risks sending a dangerous message of acquiescence as the Israeli government continues to be responsible for atrocities.”
Israel in October 2024 launched a two-year war on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 71,000 people, injuring over 172,000, and destroying about 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the UN at around $70 billion.
Despite an October 2025 truce, Israel has continued its daily attacks, killing at least 677 Palestinians and injuring 1,813 others since the ceasefire, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
- US sues Harvard University over antisemitism allegations, seeks to freeze grants
- Ahead of Netanyahu visit, Human Rights Watch urges Hungary to arrest Israeli premier
- Israeli reservist detained over alleged leak of Iron Dome secrets to Iran
- Iran war poses ‘greatest energy security threat in history’: International Energy Agency
- Iran’s new supreme leader says country’s defense stronger than ‘enemies’ assume
- NATO relocates Iraq mission personnel to Europe amid Mideast escalation
- Iran will have ‘zero restraint’ if its infrastructure attacked, says foreign minister
- FIFA’s inaction on football clubs based in Israeli settlements flouts international law: Amnesty
- Hezbollah says it has launched 9 attacks on Israeli settlements since early Friday
- Switzerland suspends arms exports to US amid Iran attacks, citing neutrality
- Spanish premier unveils $5.7B plan to cope with ‘illegal’ Iran war
- Netanyahu’s ‘terrorism’ continues to threaten peace, says Turkish president
- Is Washington already regretting its war with Iran?