Nicosia: The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, emphasized on Saturday that EU governments cannot selectively choose whether to execute arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). This follows the ICC's Thursday decision to issue warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri, accusing them of crimes against humanity.

All EU member states, as signatories to the Rome Statute, are bound to uphold ICC rulings. However, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has invited Netanyahu to visit without risk, defying this obligation. Borrell reinforced that the ICC's decisions are not optional for EU members, adding that the same applies to future EU candidates.

Borrell also rejected claims that his criticisms of Israeli policies, especially regarding the Gaza conflict, were antisemitic, asserting his right to criticize any Israeli government. This follows the ICC's charges that Netanyahu and Gallant were responsible for acts including murder and persecution in Gaza, and the warrant for Al-Masri related to mass killings during the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas.