Hungary will rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC) and enforce its arrest warrants, including one against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters Hungarian territory.
This was confirmed on Monday by Peter Magyar, Hungary’s incoming prime minister.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Hungary’s former prime minister, Viktor Orban, disregarded the warrant and hosted Netanyahu in 2025 without taking action. Orban had even announced Hungary’s withdrawal from the ICC, set for 2 June 2026.
However, Magyar reversed this decision shortly after winning the election and reaffirmed Hungary’s commitment to the court.
Despite this, Magyar extended an invitation to Netanyahu for celebrations in Budapest on 23 October, marking the 70th anniversary of Hungary’s uprising against Soviet rule.
This move has raised questions due to the outstanding ICC warrant, prompting Magyar to defend his decision.
“I invited all leaders I spoke with on the phone, he said. "If a country is part of the International Criminal Court and a wanted person enters its territory, they must be detained.
"I assume every head of state and government is aware of these laws.”
