Netanyahu’s aircraft crosses airspace of three ICC member dtates despite arrest warrant

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Flight records have indicated that the aircraft conveying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu passed through the airspace of three member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) even though an arrest warrant remains in force against him.

According to TRT World, data obtained from flight-tracking platform FlightRadar showed that the plane flew over Greece, Italy, and France while heading to the United States.

The ICC issued the warrant on November 21, 2024. The court accused Netanyahu of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, where more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.

Greece, Italy, and France are all signatories to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC. Member states are required to cooperate with the court. This obligation includes enforcing arrest warrants issued by the tribunal. Despite this responsibility, none of the three countries shut their airspace to the Israeli leader’s aircraft.

The route taken mirrors a similar journey in late December when Netanyahu also travelled to the United States for talks with President Donald Trump.

On earlier trips, the Israeli prime minister avoided certain national airspaces due to fears of possible arrest. During his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September last year, his plane crossed Greece and Italy but did not enter French airspace, according to flight data from that period.

Netanyahu departed Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on Tuesday. He is expected to meet President Trump in Washington for discussions centred on Iran.

The visit followed indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran held in Muscat, the capital of Oman. The talks came amid heightened regional tensions and a growing US military presence in the area.