The Foreign Ministry did not say outright that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel would be free to travel to France, but it argued that an I.C.C. rule on immunity may apply to him.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on Friday said there could be options for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit the Netherlands without being arrested, despite the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant against him.

Judges at the International Criminal Court have issued an arrest warrant for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Warrants have also been issued for Netanyahu's former defence chief Yoav Gallant and senior Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri,

The French Foreign Ministry suggested that Netanyahu may have immunity from arrest because Israel isn’t a signatory to the court’s founding treaty.

British foreign minister David Lammy said on Wednesday he would continue to talk and meet with Benjamin Netanyahu after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against the Israeli prime minister for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

According to the Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel, the statement indicated that although Tel Aviv rejects the ICC’s ruling, it formally notified the court of its intention to present an appeal. The appeal, Netanyahu’s office claims, will demonstrate “how absurd and without foundation” the arrest warrants are.

Arrest warrants were issued for Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, as well as a Hamas military leader, last week.

France said on Wednesday it believed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had immunity to actions by the International Criminal Court which is seeking his arrest for alleged war crimes in Gaza, given Israel has not signed up to the court statutes.