Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: A day after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of crimes against humanity related to the ongoing Gaza War, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban defied the warrant and even invited his Israeli counterpart to Budapest.
The media reported on Friday that, during a radio broadcast, PM Orban condemned the ICC’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu and declared his intention to defy it by inviting the Israeli PM to visit Hungary and that the ICC warrant would have no impact.
He accused the ICC of “politically motivated interference,” stating that the arrest warrant undermines international law and exacerbates tensions in the ongoing Gaza conflict. He also described the court’s action as “outrageously impudent” and “cynical.”
Karim AA Khan, the chief prosecutor of the ICC, headquartered in The Hague, issued warrants on Thursday for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas military leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, accusing them of crimes against humanity related to the 13-month war in Gaza.
The charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include allegations of using starvation as a method of warfare by restricting humanitarian aid and targeting civilians during military operations. Israeli officials have denied these allegations.
Despite being a member of the ICC and, therefore, legally obligated to arrest individuals subject to warrants, Hungary has refused to comply.
“We will defy this decision, and it will have no consequences for him,” Orban said. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also criticized the ICC’s move, labeling it “absurd.”
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Sunni terror outfit, Hamas, which controlled the Gaza Strip, launched a large-scale assault on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people (mostly civilians) and abducting 250 others. Since then, the Gaza Strip has faced extensive Israeli military operations, with over 104,000 people reportedly injured. The war also extended to Lebanon from where the Shia terror Group Hizbullah joined hands with Hamas in attacking Israel.
The ICC’s ruling came as the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 44,000, according to local health authorities, with women and children constituting more than half of the fatalities.
The figures, provided by the Hamas-controlled health ministry, do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The ICC’s panel of judges stated that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that Netanyahu and Gallant knowingly deprived Gaza’s civilian population of essential supplies, including food, water, and medical resources. Israel has dismissed the ICC’s jurisdiction and denied the allegations.