ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

Hungary has withdrawn its intention to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC), Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced on Friday.

"The government withdraws Hungary’s intention to leave the International Criminal Court and bans the import of agricultural products from Ukraine," Magyar posted on X/Twitter.

This decision comes a month after Magyar stated that if Hungary remains an ICC member and a person wanted by the court enters its territory, “that person must be taken into custody.”

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in 2024.

It is also expected to issue additional warrants against Defense Minister Israel Katz, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, and IDF Southern Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Asor. 

THE INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court building in The Hague: The ICC has no viable plan to bring to justice the Hamas leaders who conceived the mega-atrocity in Israel, or the terrorist organization’s supporters who slaughtered 1,200 civilians and seized 251 people as hostages on October 7, 2023
THE INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court building in The Hague: The ICC has no viable plan to bring to justice the Hamas leaders who conceived the mega-atrocity in Israel, or the terrorist organization’s supporters who slaughtered 1,200 civilians and seized 251 people as hostages on October 7, 2023 (credit: PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/REUTERS)

A shift from Hungary's previous policies

Hungary originally announced its intention to withdraw from the ICC under the then-prime minister Viktor Orban, who said Hungary had become “convinced that this court has become political.” 

Even before the decision, Hungary became the first member country of the ICC to announce that Netanyahu would be able to visit without being arrested.

Netanyahu visited the country in April of 2025 and praised Orban’s decision as “an important decision for the whole world, to stand up against a corrupt organization like the ICC.”

Anna Barsky contributed to this report.