Despite Arrest Warrant: Netanyahu's Plane Crosses Airspace of 3 ICC Member States

SadaNews - Flight data revealed that the plane carrying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump passed through the airspace of three countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute, despite an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court. According to data from "Flight Radar," the "Zion Wing" plane, which carries Netanyahu, who is under an arrest order from the ICC, departed Israel in the morning hours and reached the Atlantic Ocean. The plane took a different route from that used by Netanyahu last September when he headed to New York to participate in United Nations General Assembly meetings. Despite the ICC's arrest warrant against Netanyahu, the plane passed through the airspace of Greece, Italy, and France, all of which are parties to the Rome Statute, before arriving at the Atlantic Ocean. In his previous visits, Netanyahu avoided entering the airspace of many countries for fear of arrest; however, during his trip to New York last September, he used the airspaces of Greece and Italy but did not enter French airspace. On November 21, 2024, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu and his former Security Minister Yoav Gallant, based on war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu's office published the visit schedule, which starts on Monday with a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, followed by a meeting with Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort at 10:30 PM Jerusalem time. The office did not disclose the agenda for the second day of the visit, Tuesday, while Israeli reports indicated that this day may witness a meeting with U.S. Vice President G.D. Vance. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with American officials from the evangelical camp, before later attending an event with his wife at the "Shul" synagogue in Miami, which will be attended by members of Congress and leaders of the Jewish community, according to his office's statement. On Thursday, Netanyahu is expected to return to Tel Aviv, where he will arrive on Friday afternoon. The meeting between Netanyahu and Trump will focus on Gaza, including moving to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Israel and Hamas reached a two-phase ceasefire agreement in Gaza on October 9, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, based on a 20-point plan proposed by Trump to end the war. The first phase came into effect the following day; however, Israel violated it hundreds of times and did not adhere to all its provisions, especially those related to humanitarian aspects and aid entry, despite Hamas's commitment, leading to the deaths of more than 400 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Israel ties the initiation of negotiations for the second phase of the agreement to receiving the body of the last prisoner in Gaza, Ran Gvili, while Hamas asserts that it may take time to retrieve it due to the massive destruction in Gaza. The conflict has left over 71,000 martyrs and more than 171,000 injured, with massive destruction affecting 90% of civilian infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the United Nations at around $70 billion. In addition to the Gaza issue, Netanyahu is expected to discuss with Trump issues related to Syria, Lebanon, and Iran, amid increasing reports in Israeli media about Israeli preparations to attack Iran again, claiming that Tehran is developing its ballistic missile program. In June, Israel, with U.S. support, waged a 12-day war on Iran, to which Iran responded before the United States announced a ceasefire.