Turkey on Friday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and dozens of other Israeli officials on “genocide” charges.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said it has issued warrants against 37 people. Besides Netanyahu, warrants target Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and military chief Eyal Zamir, among others.
The warrants charge the Israeli officials with “crimes against humanity” and “genocide” committed in Gaza and against the flotilla carrying aid to the enclave, according to the prosecutor’s office. That flotilla was intercepted by Israeli authorities last month.
Israel was quick to condemn and reject the warrants.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called the move a “PR stunt” by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“In Erdoğan’s Turkey, the judiciary has long since become a tool for silencing political rivals and detaining journalists, judges, and mayors,” Sa’ar said in a social media post, referring to the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu earlier this year. Imamoglu, a key Erdogan rival, was arrested in March as part of corruption and terrorism investigations.
Hamas welcomed the warrants, saying the move “confirms the noble positions of the Turkish people and its leadership.”
The Turkish warrants raised questions over what role Turkey will play in a multinational security force for Gaza to uphold the US-brokered ceasefire deal.
Earlier this week, several Muslim-majority nations met in Istanbul to discuss an international stabilization force (ISF) for Gaza, a key part of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan. The temporary force would train a new Palestinian police force and help stabilize the enclave.
US officials have cited Turkey, which played an important role in getting Hamas to agree to a ceasefire, as a potential participant in the force. And while it’s not clear what role Turkey will play in the force, Israel has made clear it is against Turkish troops in Gaza.
US Vice President JD Vance has said Israel will ultimately have to consent to any foreign troops stationed in Gaza.
The Turkish warrants for Netanyahu and other officials come almost a year after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for the Israeli leader, accusing him of war crimes. The prime minister’s office had dismissed the ICC warrant as “absurd and antisemitic.” (CNN)
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