Istanbul: Turkey’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 other senior officials on charges of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
The warrants were approved by the Istanbul Criminal Court on Friday, November 7, following a wide-ranging investigation into Israel’s military operations in Gaza since October 7, 2023, which Turkish authorities said resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and the destruction of vital infrastructure.
According to the statement, Israel’s actions were conducted “systematically”, resulting in:
- Widespread civilian casualties
- The bombing of hospitals and residential areas
- Blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza
- Long-term destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Among the incidents cited were the October 17, 2023, airstrike on Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, which killed 500 people, and the March 21, 2025, attack on the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital
The investigation extended to the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian convoy intercepted by Israeli naval forces in international waters while en route to Gaza. Prosecutors said the activists aboard were unlawfully detained, prompting Turkey to launch legal proceedings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and relevant provisions of the Turkish Penal Code.
Victims repatriated to Turkey between October 4 and 10, 2025, underwent medical and psychological examinations at the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institution. Their testimonies, along with evidence provided by the Istanbul Bar Association No. 2, were included in the investigation file.
Following the review, prosecutors charged the 37 Israeli officials under:
- Article 77 – Crimes Against Humanity
- Article 76 – Genocide
The list of those named includes:
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel
- Israel Katz, Defence Minister
- Itamar Ben-Gvir, National Security Minister
- Eyal Zamir, Chief of General Staff
- David Saar Salama, Navy Commander
The National Intelligence Organisation (MİT) and the Istanbul Police Department have been directed to identify and locate the suspects.
The Prosecutor’s Office said that the Gaza investigation is being conducted “meticulously and comprehensively” and reaffirmed Turkey’s stance on accountability for war crimes and violations of international law.
Israel, Hamas react to Turkish move
Israel swiftly condemned and rejected the arrest warrants. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar described the move as a “public relations stunt” by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“In Erdogan’s Turkey, the judiciary has long been a tool for silencing political opponents and arresting journalists, judges and mayors,” Sa’ar wrote on X, referencing the recent arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoglu.
For its part, Hamas welcomed the decision, saying it “confirms the noble positions of the Turkish people and their leadership.”
The Turkish arrest warrants come nearly a year after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued its own warrant for Netanyahu, accusing him of war crimes committed during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Netanyahu’s office had rejected the ICC’s decision at the time, describing it as “absurd and anti-Semitic.”
The ceasefire agreement halted an Israeli genocidal war on Gaza that began on October 7, 2023, and left some 69,000 Palestinians dead and more than 170,000 wounded, most of them children and women.
