Türkiye issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, 36 Israeli officials

ISTANBUL

Turkish prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 other senior officials on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in Gaza, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said Friday.

The warrants also target Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Navy Commander David Saar Salama, according to the statement.

The prosecutor’s office said the decision followed a probe into Israel’s “systematic” attacks on civilians in Gaza since October 2023, including strikes on hospitals, aid convoys and residential areas that killed thousands of Palestinians, many of them women and children.

The investigation was launched under Türkiye’s universal jurisdiction laws after complaints by activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, who alleged abuse and unlawful detention by Israeli forces.

The prosecutor said the evidence, including forensic and witness reports, indicated “individual criminal responsibility” for actions amounting to war crimes and genocide.

As the suspects are not in Türkiye, the Istanbul Criminal Court issued detention orders in absentia under articles 76 and 77 of the Turkish Penal Code.