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France says ICC warrant posed no obstacle to Netanyahu overflight

France said international law did not require action as Netanyahu’s plane crossed four countries on the way to the United Nations General Assembly.

  • On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew over Greece, Italy, France and Canada en route to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York, despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for his arrest.
  • The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza; Canada, Italy, France and Greece are ICC members legally obliged to enforce such warrants.
  • On Tuesday, the UK sent a spy plane to Israel, contradicting Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband's earlier claim this month that the UK would "reset" its policy, just weeks after Miliband announced sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
  • French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux defended the clearance as "in full conformity with international law," arguing the Rome Statute does not impose overflight obligations; UN special rapporteur Ben Saul disputed this, citing the Tokyo Convention 1963.
  • Israeli President Isaac Herzog warned UK sanctions would "be a gross interference in the democratic elections of a sovereign nation" as elections approach next month, while Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar warned, "If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain.
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Paris. France revealed yesterday that it allowed the aircraft of the Israeli Prime Minister and fugitive from the International Criminal Court (ICC), Benjamin Netanyahu, to cross the French airspace on his way to New York for the General Assembly of the United Nations, “in full conformity with international law”, despite the court’s arrest warrant against the premier for war crimes. “The Rome Statute does not impose any obligation with respect t…

·Mexico
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Lean Left

While the International Criminal Court and its judges are targets of repeated sanctions and attacks, the Israeli Prime Minister was allowed to fly over French territory again to attend the UN General Assembly in New York.

·Paris, France
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Lean Right

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's flight crossed Canadian airspace twice, despite Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's promises to arrest politics. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's plane entered Canadian airspace twice in the last two days, transmitting RIA News. Mark Carney's Prime Minister had previously promised to detain an Israeli leader if he were to enter Canadian territory. The Bart "Sion's Wing", who uses the Prime…

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Al-Monitor broke the news in Washington, United States on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
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