Turkey: Turkey has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several senior members of his government, accusing them of genocide and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
The Istanbul prosecutor’s office announced that 37 individuals were listed as suspects, including Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.
According to the prosecutor’s statement, the accused officials are responsible for what it described as ‘systematic and deliberate acts’ against the Palestinian population in Gaza, which have resulted in widespread civilian casualties and destruction.
The statement also referred to the bombing of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, a medical facility built by Turkey in Gaza, which was struck by Israeli forces in March. Ankara cited this incident as further evidence of Israel’s alleged violations of international humanitarian law.
The move marks one of the strongest legal actions taken by a national authority against Israel since the start of the Gaza conflict. It follows Turkey’s earlier decision to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), underscoring Ankara’s growing criticism of Israel’s military operations.
Israel has condemned the warrants as politically motivated. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X that, “Israel firmly rejects, with contempt, the latest PR stunt by the tyrant Erdoğan.” Israeli officials argue that the actions in Gaza were in self-defence following continued rocket fire from Hamas.
Meanwhile, a fragile ceasefire has been holding in Gaza since October 10 as part of US President Donald Trump’s regional peace initiative. Despite the lull in fighting, tensions remain high, and international diplomatic efforts to stabilise the situation continue with mounting calls for accountability over alleged war crimes.
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