Netanyahu’s Jet Crosses ICC States En Route to UN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official aircraft crossed the airspace of three International Criminal Court member states on Thursday while ferrying him to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, prompting fresh scrutiny of how far arrest warrants reach when a wanted individual remains airborne.

Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the plane, known as Wing of Zion, departing Israel early Thursday, heading northwest across the Mediterranean, then entering the airspace of Greece, Italy and France before continuing across the Atlantic toward the United States. All three countries are parties to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the Hague-based court and obliges signatories to cooperate with it, including by arresting and surrendering individuals subject to its warrants when they are present on their territory.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, stating there were reasonable grounds to believe they bore responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Israel rejects the court’s jurisdiction and is contesting the warrants. Netanyahu has been unable to travel freely to many countries as a result.

France, which cleared the overflight, defended the decision. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux told reporters the authorisation was “in full conformity with international law.” He added: “The Rome Statute does not impose any obligations regarding overflights of its territory by a state plane which has a passenger who is targeted by an arrest warrant.” France is a signatory of the Rome Statute and is formally bound to cooperate with the court, including arresting suspects who enter its territory. Italian officials said they could not immediately confirm whether Israeli authorities had sought specific overflight permission.

After leaving French airspace near the coast of Brest, the aircraft continued westward but stayed south of Irish airspace before heading toward North America. Ireland is also an ICC member state, and Netanyahu’s previous flights have similarly avoided its territory.

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This was not an isolated incident. Similar routes over Greece, Italy and France have been used on earlier trips, including in late 2025 and mid-2026. On at least one previous journey to the UN General Assembly in September 2025, the plane took a longer southern path via the Strait of Gibraltar that avoided French airspace. Le Monde reported that Thursday’s crossing marked the ninth time Netanyahu’s aircraft had used French airspace since the warrants were issued.

Legal experts remain divided on whether mere overflight triggers enforcement duties. The Rome Statute does not explicitly address transit by air. Some international law scholars argue that territorial jurisdiction includes airspace and that states could refuse clearance or, in extreme cases, require a landing. Others note that the court has never required states to intercept or force down an aircraft carrying a suspect in flight, and practical considerations of aviation safety weigh heavily against such action. The ICC itself has not publicly demanded that the overflown states take steps against the aircraft.

Netanyahu spent only a short time in New York, delivering an address to the General Assembly before meeting several Latin American leaders and returning to Israel the same day. The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute and has no obligation under the treaty to enforce the warrant.

The episode has renewed debate about the practical reach of ICC warrants against sitting heads of government and the willingness of European states to prioritise diplomatic and logistical realities over maximalist interpretations of cooperation obligations. As Netanyahu continues to travel internationally under the shadow of the 2024 warrants, each flight path is likely to be closely monitored for signs of shifting national positions.