Poland passes law shielding Netanyahu from arrest during Auschwitz commemoration.

• An arrest warrant was issued by the International Criminal Court of the United Nations for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, charging them with committing crimes against humanity during the Gaza war.
• The ICC requires member countries, such as Poland, to detain suspects upon their arrival, but the court lacks the power to enforce this requirement.
• The Polish government passed a resolution to guarantee the freedom and safety of Israeli representatives who will participate in the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau on January 27.

On Thursday, the Polish government pledged to guarantee the safe attendance of Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau later this month.

Last year, Netanyahu and others became internationally wanted suspects after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for them in connection with the war in Gaza, accusing them of crimes against humanity.

The Polish government considers the attendance of Israeli leaders at the January 27, 2025 commemorations as a tribute to the Jewish nation, whose millions of members were victims of the Holocaust perpetrated by the Third Reich, as stated in a resolution published by Prime Minister Donald Tusk's office.

After Polish President Andrzej Duda requested it, the government published a statement to guarantee that Netanyahu could attend without the possibility of being arrested.

At the onset of World War II, German troops invaded Poland and established a network of ghettos and death camps, resulting in the murder of millions of Jews and others.

Reports suggested that Netanyahu's arrest warrant could hinder his travel to Poland for the anniversary of the Auschwitz-Birkenau liberation on Jan. 27.

The ICC requires member countries, such as Poland, to detain suspects if they enter their territory with a warrant, but the court lacks the power to enforce this requirement. Israel, which is not a member of the ICC, challenges its authority.

Although some countries, including France, have stated that they will not arrest him, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has declared that he will defy the warrant by inviting Netanyahu to Hungary, the court still has more than 120 member states.

Earlier Thursday, the Polish Foreign Ministry stated that they had not received any information suggesting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would attend the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz celebration.

The Ministry of the Interior in Poland stated that the country is safe and any leader visiting Poland is entitled to protection. Additionally, the ministry refuted any claims that Netanyahu could be arrested in Poland as "fake news" spread by U.S. media.

The commemoration will occur in Oswiecim, a town that was under German control during the war, and will be attended by international officials and elderly survivors.

Approximately 1.1 million individuals were killed at Auschwitz, with historians estimating that around one million of them were Jewish. However, it's important to note that the victims also encompassed Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and others.