Netanyahu Defies ICC Arrest Warrant and Visits Hungary, Announces Change in Gaza War Plans

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began a state visit to Hungary today. The visit comes as he promised a major change in the war against Hamas in Gaza.

The prime minister landed in Budapest for an official four-day stay in Hungary. It's Netanyahu's first visit to Europe since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant last November for alleged war crimes in Gaza.​

Immediately after the court decision, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban invited Netanyahu and criticized the ICC decision as "shameful and absurd."

Hungary is reportedly expected to announce during the official visit that it will withdraw from the ICC and move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. 

Before his departure, Netanyahu declared that Israel had switched gears in its fight against Hamas

He explained, “We are now dividing the Strip and increasing the pressure step by step so that they will give us our hostages. And as long as they do not give them to us, the pressure will increase until they do. We are determined to achieve the objectives of the war, and we are acting relentlessly and with a clear line and a clear mission. And with G-d's help and that of our heroic soldiers, we will also achieve them."

At this point, the Israel Defense Forces are nearing control of 30 percent of the Gaza Strip.

After October 7th, Israel felt it needed vast buffer zones between itself and Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz indicated that the troops are out to "capture extensive territory that will be added to the State of Israel's security areas."

Netanyahu's government contends that this will be the best way to free the remaining hostages since Hamas has rejected another ceasefire deal put forth by Israel – the Israeli proposal called for eleven hostages to be freed. Hamas is offering to release only four.

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On another diplomatic front, former governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is one step closer to becoming America's ambassador to Israel. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted strictly along party lines Wednesday to approve Huckabee's nomination. Now, it will go before the full Senate for a vote, where Republicans control the chamber.