Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, has demanded answers from Italy, France, and Greece over their decision to grant airspace and safe passage to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—despite an active arrest warrant request from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a post on X, Albanese wrote: “Italian, French and Greek citizens deserve to know that every political action violating the international legal order, weakens and endangers all of them.”
All three countries are signatories to the Rome Statute and, she argued, have a legal obligation to arrest Netanyahu rather than host him.
The United States, where Netanyahu is currently visiting, is not a party to the ICC and therefore not bound by its obligations.
The post comes amid ongoing tensions between the court and Washington. Under the Trump administration, the US imposed sanctions on four ICC judges, accusing them of pursuing “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the US and its allies, including Israel.
The governments of Italy, France, and Greece must explain why they provided airspace and safe passage to ICC-wanted Benjamin Netanyahu, whom they are obligated to arrest. Italian, French and Greek citizens deserve to know that every political action violating the int’l legal… https://t.co/gfcAZQOOFi
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) July 9, 2025
