Turkey has imposed sanctions and issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 37 members of his government, accusing them of carrying out genocide in the Gaza Strip under the guise of military operations.
According to a report from U.S. network CNN, the warrants were issued on Friday by the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor in Istanbul. Alongside Netanyahu, the list includes several senior Israeli officials, such as Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Interior Minister Ya’al Zamir.
The warrant details accusations of genocide in Gaza, crimes against humanity, and obstructing humanitarian aid sent by an international flotilla coalition last September.
Israel swiftly condemned the move. In a statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called the warrants part of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “PR strategy,” alleging that Erdoğan uses Turkey’s judiciary to silence political opponents and imprison dissenting journalists, judges, and mayors.
Turkey joined South Africa last year as a co-applicant in its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The arrest warrant was issued at a time when Gaza is experiencing a fragile ceasefire.
Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza, welcomed the decision. In a statement on Friday, the group’s leadership said the warrant “reaffirms the principled stance of the Turkish people and their leadership on the Gaza issue.”
