Hungary’s Incoming PM Magyar to Halt ICC Exit, Says Netanyahu Could Be Arrested on Entry

Hungary’s incoming prime minister, Péter Magyar, said his government will stop the country’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) – a move initiated by outgoing leader Viktor Orbán – and confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be detained if he visits Budapest.

Speaking at a press conference in Budapest on Monday, Magyar, whose opposition Tisza party won Hungary’s parliamentary elections and secured a constitutional majority, said his cabinet is “firmly committed to stopping this process and ensuring that Hungary remains a member of the ICC.”

When asked about Netanyahu, whom he had previously invited to Hungary, Magyar said that “if a country is a member of the ICC and a person wanted by the court enters its territory, that person must be detained.”

He added that he had “clearly communicated” Hungary’s position to the Israeli leader and “hid nothing.”

Israel’s ambassador Maya Kadosh earlier said Netanyahu and Magyar held a “warm conversation” during a phone call, and that the Israeli prime minister accepted an invitation to visit Hungary.

Magyar said he had invited “all heads of state” he spoke with after the election victory to attend commemorations marking the 70th anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 uprising.

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The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and then-Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

Orbán responded by inviting Netanyahu to Hungary, assuring him he would not be arrested and calling the ICC decision “brazen, cynical, and completely unacceptable.” Netanyahu visited Hungary in April 2025.

Earlier this year, Orbán’s government announced the start of Hungary’s withdrawal from the ICC, formally notifying the United Nations in June.

Following the April 12 parliamentary election, Magyar’s Tisza party emerged with a constitutional majority, ending Orbán’s 16-year tenure as prime minister.