France defended its decision to allow Benjamin Netanyahu's plane, the Prime Minister of Israel, to pass through its airspace en route to the United Nations. This decision was made under the circumstances that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over allegations related to war crimes.
Legal Justification for the Plane's Passage
According to international law, French officials stated that there is no obligation to act against this passage. Pascal Canfin, spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry, told reporters that this action was "completely in accordance with international law" and stated: "There is no provision in the Rome Statute that imposes an obligation on countries regarding air travel involving individuals with arrest warrants."
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This decision by France comes as Netanyahu has been unable to travel to many countries due to the warrants issued by the International Criminal Court. These warrants include allegations against him as well as the former Minister of Defense and the military commander of Hamas in 2024.
Positions of Israel and the United States
Israel has officially rejected the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and denies allegations of war crimes in Gaza. The country has stated that its military actions are aimed at destroying Hamas and responding to a deadly attack that this group carried out on October 7, 2023. Israel is also legally challenging the warrants issued against Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, its former Minister of Defense.
Netanyahu's travel situation to the United States is also significant. He traveled to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly and is expected to return to Israel quickly after delivering his speech.
Reports indicate that Netanyahu's plane passed through the skies of Greece, Italy, and France on its way. An Italian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also stated that they could not immediately confirm whether Israeli officials had requested permission to pass through Italian airspace.
Last year, Netanyahu chose a longer route to travel to New York due to legal obstacles to avoid the airspace of several European countries, including France.
Meanwhile, the United States, as a supporter of Israel, has publicly criticized the International Criminal Court, with U.S. President Donald Trump calling for the withdrawal of members from what he termed a "rogue institution." France has strongly opposed these threats against the International Criminal Court and emphasized its support for this institution.
Netanyahu has made an unusually short trip to the United States and is expected to return to Israel quickly after his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
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