France Defends Allowing Netanyahu's Plane to Cross Its Airspace

The Government of France authorized the aircraft of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to transit French airspace as he traveled to the United Nations General Assembly in the United States. The decision drew immediate criticism from Amnesty International, which accused France of maintaining a double standard and contributing to impunity for crimes against humanity.

French officials defended the overflight, stating it did not violate international law. A spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry asserted that the Rome Statute does not require member states to arrest individuals who are passengers on state aircraft merely overflying their territory. Flight-tracking data revealed that Netanyahu's plane also crossed the airspace of Italy and Greece, both of which are also signatories to the Rome Statute.

Amnesty International highlighted a contradiction between this authorization and recent remarks by President Emmanuel Macron at the UN General Assembly, where he called for the defense of international law and stated that war crimes had been industrialized. The rights group further criticized France for continuing military equipment transfers to Israel and for inconsistent support of genocide cases at the International Court of Justice.

Israel continues to reject the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and denies committing war crimes in Gaza. Meanwhile, the United States has actively campaigned to isolate the court, with President Donald Trump urging members to leave the institution.