TURKEYE 0fficials, on Friday, issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 other Israeli officials, accusing them of “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” linked to actions in Gaza and the interception of a humanitarian flotilla last month.
CNN cited that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the warrants also target Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and military chief Eyal Zamir, among others.
Israel swiftly condemned the move. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar described the warrants as a “PR stunt” by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“In Erdoğan’s Türkiye, the judiciary has long since become a tool for silencing political rivals and detaining journalists, judges, and mayors,” Sa’ar wrote on social media, citing the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu earlier this year.
Hamas welcomed the warrants, stating they “confirm the noble positions of the Turkish people and its leadership.”
The development has also raised questions about Türkiye’s potential role in a multinational international stabilization force (ISF) for Gaza, part of the US-brokered ceasefire plan.
Several Muslim-majority nations recently met in Istanbul to discuss the force, which would train a Palestinian police unit and help stabilise the enclave.
While Türkiye played a key role in bringing Hamas to the ceasefire table, Israel has opposed any Turkish troops in Gaza. US Vice President JD Vance has said Israel must consent to any foreign troops deployed there.
The Turkish warrants come nearly a year after the International Criminal Court issued its own warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes, which his office dismissed as “absurd and antisemitic.” - November 8, 2025
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