Netanyahu invited to Germany in 'overt defiance' of ICC warrant, says Israel

Germany's next chancellor has invited Benjamin Netanyahu to the country in defiance of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant, according to the Israeli prime minister's office.

Netanyahu's office said he had a "warm conversation" with Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), after the party won the most votes in Germany's national election on Sunday.

"Chancellor-designate Merz thanked the Prime Minister for the conversation and said that he would invite him to make an official visit to Germany, in overt defiance of the scandalous International Criminal Court decision to label the Prime Minister a war criminal," the prime minister's office said. 

A spokesperson for the CDU told Reuters that the two leaders spoke on the phone following the election, but would not elaborate on the details. 

In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, his former defence minister. 

The two were accused of "the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts" during Israel's ongoing war on Gaza, which began following the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023.

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