Hungary's Parliament approved a bill on May 20 to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing that the institution is “politically motivated.” Hungary becomes the third country to take this step, following Burundi and the Philippines.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced last month during the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hungary, as an EU member state, would withdraw from the ICC. Despite an arrest warrant issued against Netanyahu by the ICC, Orbán welcomed the visiting Israeli leader.

The ICC has accused the Israeli leader of committing war crimes in Gaza, which Netanyahu denies. In Tuesday's vote, 134 representatives supported the withdrawal proposal, while 37 opposed it and 7 abstained.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that once the decision is formally announced, Hungary will notify the United Nations. He claims the ICC has become a “politically driven judicial body,” which is “unacceptable.” He said, “Clearly, Hungary should not belong to such an organization.” The withdrawal from the ICC will take effect one year after submitting the withdrawal document to the UN Secretary-General's office.

Last month’s visit marked Netanyahu’s first trip to Europe since 2023. The ICC issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Galant, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes during the Gaza conflict. So far, only Burundi and the Philippines have previously joined and then withdrawn from the Court.