Budapest: Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday urged Hungary to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit the country. HRW said that Hungarian authorities should arrest Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu if he enters Hungarian territory.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, an official source indicated that Netanyahu is expected to travel to Hungary on March 21, 2026, to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference. The visit is set to occur shortly before Hungary's national elections, which are scheduled for April 12.
HRW recalled that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on November 21, 2024. The warrant, also issued for then-Israeli 'Defense' Minister Yoav Gallant, pertains to charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip from at least October 8, 2023.
HRW stressed that both Netanyahu and Gallant remain fugitives from justice before the ICC, and ICC member countries are required to arrest them if they enter their territory. Despite its intention to leave the ICC, Hungary remains a member country and is obligated to arrest and surrender individuals wanted by the court.
Alice Autin, an international justice researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated, "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."
