Hungary is initiating its departure from the International Criminal Court (ICC). This decision coincides with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrival in Hungary on Thursday for discussions with Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Netanyahu, who faces ICC allegations of war crimes in Gaza, was welcomed at the airport by an honor guard, Hungarian Minister of Defense Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, and Israeli Ambassador to Hungary Maya Kadosh, along with his wife.

His visit is scheduled to last four days.

As a founding member of the ICC, Hungary is typically required to arrest and surrender individuals wanted by the court. However, Orban has previously denounced the warrant for Netanyahu as “brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable.”

Orban’s Chief of Staff, Gergely Gulyas, announced to state media that the withdrawal process would commence later on Thursday.

This move is not entirely unexpected, as Orban had previously questioned Hungary’s involvement with the ICC in February, following the U.S. decision to sanction the court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan.

“It’s time for Hungary to review what we’re doing in an international organization that is under U.S. sanctions,” Orban stated on X in February.

Reuters reports that Hungary’s parliament, dominated by Orban’s Fidesz Party, is likely to approve the bill to begin the year-long withdrawal from the ICC.

Orban has consistently supported Netanyahu and has often blocked EU statements or actions critical of Israel.

dismisses the ICC’s accusations, which stem from the war launched against Hamas following the group’s October 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel that resulted in 1,200 deaths and over 250 hostages.

The ICC’s warrant for Netanyahu and former defense chief Yoav Gallant alleges their involvement in crimes such as murder, persecution, and starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.

According to the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during Israel’s offensive.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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