Full Breakdown
France Allows Netanyahu Overflight Despite ICC Arrest Warrant
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Overflight on September 24 2026
On September 24 2026, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to the United Nations General Assembly in New York aboard the government aircraft *Wing of Zion*. The flight crossed the airspace of Greece, Italy, France and Canada. Despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued in November 2024 for alleged war crimes in Gaza, France cleared the aircraft to transit its territory.
Background & Context
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Israel’s military campaign after the October 7 2023 attacks. Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute and rejects the court’s jurisdiction.
France, a signatory to the Rome Statute, has faced criticism for permitting Israeli state aircraft to overfly its airspace. Hungary hosted Netanyahu in April 2025 and was later found by ICC judges to have failed to cooperate with the court.
Data & Statistics
- Flight-tracking (Flightradar24) confirmed overflight of Greece, Italy, France and Canada.
- Four ICC member states (France, Italy, Greece, Canada) were traversed, each legally obliged to cooperate with ICC arrest requests.
Official Statements & Responses
UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul disputed France’s narrow reading, arguing that the Rome Statute, as a multilateral agreement, could obligate a state to require an overflying aircraft to land for arrest. Saul noted that while the Statute does not explicitly address overflights, general international law treats a state’s airspace as sovereign territory, potentially subjecting it to arrest obligations.
Timeline
- November 2024 – ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.
- February 2 2025 – French authorities authorize Netanyahu’s overflight of French airspace.
- April 2025 – Hungary hosts Netanyahu; later found non-compliant with ICC obligations.
- September 24 2026 – Netanyahu’s aircraft overflies Greece, Italy, France and Canada en route to the UN.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Italy and Canada have not publicly confirmed whether they granted explicit permission for the overflight.
- The ICC has not issued guidance on the legal status of overflights, leaving interpretation of the Rome Statute’s obligations ambiguous.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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,” — Pascal Confavreux, foreign ministry spokesperson
- “My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here,” — Zohran Mamdani, mayor
What’s Next
Netanyahu is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26 2025. The appearance will likely revive debate over the ICC warrant and the legal responsibilities of member states whose airspace is used by state aircraft carrying individuals subject to ICC arrest orders.