Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has sharply criticised Italy, France, and Greece for allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fly safely through their airspace, despite an active arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

Netanyahu, accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, was granted a secure aerial route to Washington, where he is currently meeting US officials. Yet all three European countries are signatories to the Rome Statute, which obliges them to arrest individuals wanted by the Court. Instead, they offered safe passage to a man Palestinians and many around the world view as directly responsible for a campaign of mass killing and forced starvation.

Albanese demanded public accountability from the European governments, calling their decision a betrayal of the international legal order and a dangerous erosion of justice. Her warning was clear: protecting war criminals weakens the very foundations of international law and emboldens impunity.

This moment exposes a painful double standard. While Palestinians in Gaza are denied shelter, food, and even life itself, Netanyahu crosses borders with protection and privilege. Europe's failure to act casts serious doubt on its commitment to the very justice it claims to uphold.