ISTANBUL, Turkey — Türkiye’s Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Friday issued arrest warrants for 37 individuals, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing them of “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” over Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The prosecutor’s office said the warrants followed an investigation into what it described as Israel’s “systematic” attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The probe began after complaints from victims and members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a civilian aid mission that was intercepted by Israeli naval forces while attempting to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar quickly dismissed the warrants as a “PR stunt” orchestrated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, asserting that Israel “firmly rejects” the move.
Erdogan has been one of Israel’s most vocal critics since its military campaign in Gaza began in 2023.
Palestinian health authorities report that more than 68,000 people have died in Gaza since the onset of the conflict, with much of the enclave reduced to rubble.
Türkiye, which also helped broker last month’s ceasefire, serves as one of the guarantor nations for the agreement.
The unprecedented arrest warrants add a new layer of tension to Israel-Turkey relations, which have long been strained amid recurring clashes over Gaza and broader Middle East politics.
