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The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is set to embark on a four-day official visit to Hungary starting Thursday. This visit marks Netanyahu’s first time on European soil since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Following the ICC’s announcement of the warrants in November, Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, declared that he would defy the court to host Netanyahu, stating that the ICC’s ruling would “have no effect in Hungary”.

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Hungary has been a signatory of the ICC since its establishment more than two decades ago, agreeing to the requirement to arrest and hand over anyone facing a court warrant if they enter the country. Recently, sources in Orbán’s government have suggested the possibility of withdrawing from the court.

The visit comes as Netanyahu has announced that Israel is “seizing territory” and intends to divide the Gaza Strip following a fragile ceasefire with renewed bombing and ground troop deployments in the besieged Palestinian territory.

This visit represents Netanyahu’s second trip abroad since the warrants were issued, not only for him but also for his former defence chief and the Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri. Israel has dismissed the court’s accusations as politically motivated and driven by anti-Semitism.

In February, Netanyahu traveled to the US, which, like Israel, is not an ICC member, to meet Donald Trump. The US president utilized this visit to sign an executive order imposing sanctions on the ICC over its investigations into Israel’s actions in the conflict sparked by Hamas’ attack on southern Israel.

Since then, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed over 50,000 people, primarily civilians according to the territory’s health ministry.

Within the EU and its 27 member states, all of whom are ICC signatories, the enforcement of warrants against Netanyahu has been controversial. While some countries, including Spain, the Netherlands, and Finland, have pledged to uphold the warrants, others have been hesitant.

The European Commission spokesperson stated that all states should ensure full cooperation with the courts, including the immediate execution of outstanding arrest warrants.

However, Hungary’s decision to ignore the court’s ruling has been criticized by human rights groups. Amnesty International’s Erika Guevara Rosas pointed out that hosting Netanyahu undermines respect for international law, while Human Rights Watch highlighted Viktor Orbán’s record on weakening democratic institutions, suggesting that allowing Netanyahu’s visit could further damage Hungary’s human rights record.

In response, the ICC stated that member states have a legal obligation to enforce the court’s rulings and that it is the court’s role, not that of the parties, to determine the validity of its own legal decisions.