BUDAPEST, Hungary — On Friday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed strong disapproval regarding the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) recent arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Orbán stated his intention to challenge this warrant by extending an invitation to Netanyahu to visit Hungary.

In remarks made on state radio, Orbán asserted that the ICC was meddling in an active conflict for political reasons. He criticized the decision to issue the arrest warrant for Netanyahu, citing it as a move that undermines international law and heightens existing tensions in the region. The ICC, which is recognized as the leading war crimes tribunal based in The Hague, had announced an arrest warrant on Thursday not only for Netanyahu but also for his former defense minister and the military chief of Hamas. The charges levied against them include crimes against humanity related to the protracted conflict in Gaza that has lasted 13 months.

The court’s warrant asserted that there is justification to believe that both Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant utilized “starvation as a method of warfare” by limiting humanitarian aid while deliberately targeting civilians during Israel’s operations against Hamas in Gaza. Israeli officials have contested these allegations.

Orbán, a firm ally of Netanyahu, referred to the arrest warrant as “outrageously impudent” and “cynical.” He announced plans to formally invite Netanyahu later that same day, reiterating his commitment to overlook the warrant should the Israeli leader choose to accept the invitation. Orbán stated emphatically, “We will defy this decision, and it will have no consequences for him.”

While member nations of the ICC, including Hungary, are obligated to detain individuals facing such warrants upon their arrival, the court lacks enforcement mechanisms for its directives. The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, had previously demeaned the ICC’s actions, labeling the warrant as “absurd.”

This development from the ICC came amidst a staggering rise in casualty figures from Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which have reportedly surpassed 44,000, according to local health officials. They noted that over half of those who lost their lives in this conflict were women and children. Notably, their reports do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.