'No obligations under Rome Statute for overflights': France defends not arresting Netanyahu

France has defended its decision not to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant against him.Netanyahu’s plane crossed French airspace on Thursday en route to the United Nations. As a signatory to the ICC’s founding Rome Statute, France is formally bound to cooperate with the court, including by arresting suspects who enter its territory.French foreign ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux told reporters the clearance to Netanyahu's aircraft was "in full conformity with international law.""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," Confavreux said.According to flight-tracking app Flightradar24, Netanyahu’s plane flew over Greece, Italy and France. An Italian foreign ministry spokesperson said they could not immediately confirm whether Israel had sought permission for the overflight.Netanyahu faces restrictions on travel to several countries because of an ICC arrest warrant issued against him and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, as well as a separate warrant for a former Hamas military commander, in 2024.Last year, Netanyahu took a circuitous route to New York to avoid the airspace of several European countries, including France, according to media reports.Israel rejects the ICC’s jurisdiction and denies committing war crimes in Gaza. It says its military campaign was aimed at eliminating Hamas following the group’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Israel is contesting the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.The United States, a close Israeli ally and non-signatory to the Rome Statute, has launched a campaign to isolate the court. President Donald Trump this week urged members of The Hague-based court to leave what he called an “out of control institution”. France has condemned threats against the ICC.Netanyahu was making a brief visit to the US to address world leaders at the UN General Assembly and was expected to return to Israel later on Thursday.(With Reuters inputs)You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.