Hungary’s incoming prime minister, Peter Magyar, stated that Benjamin Netanyahu could be arrested if he enters the country.
This marks a significant change from the outgoing leader Viktor Orban’s approach. Orban welcomed the Israeli prime minister to Budapest last year, even though there was an active warrant from the International Criminal Court.
On Tuesday, Sky News reported that Magyar plans to stop Hungary’s withdrawal from the ICC. This means that individuals wanted by the court could be detained upon arriving in Hungary.
This shift would carry political weight within Hungary and diplomatic implications beyond its borders. Reuters reported on April 17 that Magyar, whose Tisza party won the elections, aims to take the oath of office on May 9 or 10, depending on when parliament meets. So, he is not yet prime minister, but he is already outlining a change in foreign policy after Orban’s 16-year tenure.
Hungary’s Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar said today that his country must take Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into custody if he enters Hungarian territory while wanted by the International Criminal Court.https://t.co/GelJprMYRW
— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) April 20, 2026
Magyar’s stance seems to be based on Hungary’s legal obligations under the Rome Statute, as the country remains part of the court system. Last year, Reuters reported that as a founding ICC member, Hungary was required to arrest and surrender anyone with a warrant from the court.
However, Orban had stated he would not enforce the ruling against Netanyahu. Later, Reuters reported that Hungary’s government started the process to withdraw from the ICC during Netanyahu’s visit in April 2025, but that process takes a year after formal notice. The ICC’s Assembly of States Parties indicated that Hungary’s withdrawal would take effect on June 2, 2026.
If Hungary is still bound by the court until June, a Magyar government in office by May would inherit obligations that Orban disregarded. Sky News reported that Magyar indicated he would cease the withdrawal process entirely. Bloomberg, in another report, stated that Magyar insisted Hungary must arrest leaders wanted by the ICC if they enter the country.
Netanyahu has faced ICC scrutiny since late 2024. In November 2024, Reuters reported that the court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri over alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes related to the Gaza conflict.
Now that the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes, can Erdogan, Abdullah II, MbZ, Aliyev, Sisi, and Mohammed VI be shamed into ending business and political ties with the genocidal Zionist regime? pic.twitter.com/y6TN7xS6aw
— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) November 21, 2024
Israel has denied the allegations and questioned the court’s authority. In May 2025, Reuters reported that Israel requested ICC judges to withdraw the warrants while they reviewed jurisdictional issues. However, in July 2025, judges denied Israel’s request to remove Netanyahu’s warrant.
Orban took a different path than the one Magyar is indicating. Reuters reported that Orban invited Netanyahu to Hungary and promised there was no risk of arrest. He then used Netanyahu’s visit to announce Budapest’s withdrawal from the ICC. Netanyahu publicly praised that move as a “bold and principled” choice.
If Magyar follows through after taking office, Hungary would transition from being one of Netanyahu’s safest locations in Europe to one where legal risks are evident.
This would not only reverse Orban’s stance but also align Hungary more closely with the view expressed by former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, stating that ICC warrants are mandatory for member states, not optional.
