Canada, France, Italy and Greece allow Netanyahu’s overflight despite ICC warrant

Sondos Asem reports in Middle East Eye on 24 September 2026:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew over Greece, Italy, France and Canada on Thursday on his way to address the UN, despite an International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Gaza since October 2023.

Netanyahu arrived in the US for a short visit to address the UN General Assembly in New York, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he does not have the authority to arrest the Israeli leader. But he urged the US government to implement the arrest warrant, saying it is justified.

“My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here,” Mamdani said in a video address in July after President Donald Trump said Netanyahu would not be arrested.  “It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant. The federal government, however, does, and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant.”

While the US is not a member of the ICC, Canada, Italy, France and Greece (and all EU countries) are members of the war crimes court and are legally obliged to enforce the warrants. The four countries have repeatedly faced criticism over permitting Netanyahu to use their airspace several times since the warrants were issued.

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