Turkey issues genocide arrest warrant against Israel’s Netanyahu, senior officials

Summary

• Turkey issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and 36 other officials, accusing them of "genocide and crimes against humanity" in Gaza.
• The warrants reference the bombing of the "Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital" and allege systematic perpetration of crimes by Israel.
• Turkey has joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the ICJ and denounces Israeli actions in Gaza.

ISTANBUL - Turkey announced on Nov 7 that it had issued arrest warrants for genocide against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials in his government over the war in Gaza.

The announcement was met with a firm rebuttal from Israel. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel “firmly rejects, with contempt” the charges, calling them “the latest PR stunt by the tyrant (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan”.

The Istanbul prosecutor’s office said in a statement that a total of 37 suspects were targeted by the arrest warrants, without providing a full list.

They include Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir.

Turkey has accused the officials of “genocide and crimes against humanity” that Israel has “perpetrated systematically” in Gaza.

The statement also refers to the “Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital”, built by Turkey in the Gaza Strip and bombed by Israel in March.

Turkey, which has been one of the most vocal critics of the war in Gaza, in 2024 joined South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

A fragile ceasefire has been in force in the devastated Palestinian territory since Oct 10 as part of US President Donald Trump’s regional peace plan.

The Islamist militant group Hamas welcomed Turkey’s announcement, calling it a “commendable measure (confirming) the sincere positions of the Turkish people and their leaders, who are committed to the values of justice, humanity and fraternity that bind them to our oppressed Palestinian people”.

Stabilisation force

Mr Saar said in his post in English on the social media platform X that “in Erdogan’s Turkey, the judiciary has long since become a tool for silencing political rivals and detaining journalists, judges and mayors”.

He added that the Istanbul prosecutor’s office “recently orchestrated the arrest of the Mayor of Istanbul merely for daring to run against Erdogan”, referring to Mr Ekrem Imamoglu, who was detained in March.

Israel’s former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman wrote on X that the arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials “clearly explain why Turkey should not be present in the Gaza Strip – directly or indirectly”.

Turkey wants to take part in the international stabilisation force intended to play a role in post-war Gaza, according to Mr Trump’s plan.

But Ankara’s efforts, which include increasing diplomatic contacts in the region and seeking to influence the pro-Israel stance of the United States, are viewed unfavourably in Israel, which considers Turkey too close to Hamas.

Israeli leaders have repeatedly expressed their opposition to any Turkish participation in the international stabilisation force in Gaza.

Israel has rejected as “false” and “antisemitic” accusations of genocide from a UN-mandated commission, several NGOs and some countries. AFP