ByREUTERS

France defended its decision to let Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plane cross its airspace en route to the United Nations on Thursday, saying international law did not require action despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him over alleged war crimes.

France is a signatory of the ICC's founding Rome Statute and is formally bound to cooperate with the court, including arresting suspects who enter its territory. French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux told reporters the clearance was "in full conformity with international law."

"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," Confavreux said.

Netanyahu is unable to travel to many countries because of the ICC arrest warrant issued against him and his then-defense minister, as well as the then-military commander of Hamas, in 2024.

Israel rejects the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court, as Israel is not a signatory to the Rome Statute. It also denies the ICC's accusation that war crimes were committed in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war.

People stand outside the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands.
People stand outside the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands. (credit: REUTERS/PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/FILE PHOTO)

Netanyahu's plane also flew over Greece, Italy

Flight-tracking app Flightradar24 showed Netanyahu's plane flew over Greece, Italy, and France. A spokesperson for Italy's Foreign Ministry said they could not immediately answer whether Israeli authorities had sought permission for an overflight.

Last year Netanyahu flew a circuitous route to New York to skirt the airspace of several European countries, including France, media reported at the time.

Washington has announced a campaign to isolate the court. US President Donald Trump this week urged ICC members to quit what he called an "out-of-control institution." France has said it condemns the threats against the court.

Netanyahu was making an unusually short visit to the US for his address to world leaders at the UN General Assembly. He arrived in New York around 9 a.m. ET and was expected to fly back later in the day after delivering his speech.