Ottawa verifying Netanyahu flight path through Canadian airspace

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Wednesday she has instructed officials to determine whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to fly through Canadian airspace on Thursday. Speaking to reporters outside United Nations headquarters in New York, Anand said: “I actually have asked my department to provide me with information relating to this particular flyover, which I did not have before coming to the United Nations,” according to CTV News.

Anand declined to specify whether Ottawa considers the Israeli premier a war criminal. She instead emphasized Canada’s commitment to international legal institutions and humanitarian principles, noting that Ottawa respects the jurisdiction of international courts.

Arrest warrant backdrop

“Our position is … to respect decisions of international courts and … to support, at all times, people who are suffering, including in Gaza and Palestine and the West Bank, and to ensure that crimes against humanity are addressed as such,” Anand said. Her comments followed a pledge by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney last October that Netanyahu would face arrest if he entered Canadian territory.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, citing reasonable grounds to believe they bear criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Gaza Strip. The warrants have complicated international travel for the Israeli leadership, forcing careful route planning to avoid jurisdictions that might enforce the court’s orders.

Diplomatic clearance

As a foreign dignitary traveling aboard a state aircraft, Netanyahu is required to request diplomatic clearance from Ottawa at least three working days prior to entering Canadian airspace. The Israeli leader is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday.

The visit marks Netanyahu’s first trip to the United States since the ICC warrants were issued, with his flight path subject to intense diplomatic scrutiny amid questions regarding potential enforcement actions by transit countries. Washington has rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction over Israeli nationals, while Canada has signaled it would comply with its obligations as a Rome Statute signatory.