Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a position following the arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, and the Hamas military leader

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 22 issued a statement regarding the three arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and the Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif.

While the ministry did not comment on the merits of acts by the international jurisdiction, it emphasized that the arrest warrants fail to distinguish between the responsibility for Hamas’ unprecedented terrorist attack against Israel on October 7 and Israel’s legitimate self-defense actions in response.

"Bulgaria supports the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the International Criminal Court in fulfilling its mission to investigate the most serious international crimes and consistently opposes any attempts to politicize the Court's work

The only solution for establishing lasting and sustainable peace in the Middle East remains the creation of a political horizon for the peace process, and such arrest warrants do not contribute to this goal. Bulgaria will continue to support efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire and the release of hostages," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in its position.

U.S. President Joe Biden called the international arrest warrant for Netanyahu "outrageous."

Washington does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Several European countries have pledged to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they enter their territories. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán invited his Israeli counterpart to visit Budapest, promising not to enforce the arrest warrant.