Turkey on Friday announced that it had issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several senior officials in his government, accusing them of genocide over the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Israel responded sharply. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar declared that Israel “firmly rejects, with contempt” the charges, labeling them “the latest PR stunt by the tyrant (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan”.
The Istanbul prosecutor’s office stated that 37 suspects were targeted by the warrants, though it did not provide a complete list.
Among those named are Defence Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir.
Turkey has accused these officials of committing “genocide and crimes against humanity” that Israel has “perpetrated systematically” in Gaza. The statement also cited the bombing of the “Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital”, built by Turkey in Gaza, in March.
As one of the staunchest critics of the Gaza war, Turkey last year joined South Africa in accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
A fragile ceasefire has been in effect in Gaza since October 10, as part of US President Donald Trump’s regional peace plan.
Hamas praised Turkey’s move, 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”.
Saar, on social media platform X, criticized Turkey’s judiciary, stating, “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 Ekrem Imamoglu’s detention in March.
Israel’s former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman commented on X that the arrest warrants for senior officials “clearly explain why Turkey should not be present in the Gaza Strip, directly or indirectly”.
Turkey has expressed interest in joining an international stabilisation force in post-war Gaza under Trump’s plan, aiming to expand diplomatic contacts in the region and influence the US’s pro-Israel position.
However, Israel views Ankara’s efforts unfavorably, citing its close ties with Hamas, and Israeli leaders have repeatedly opposed Turkish participation in the mission.
Israel has also dismissed claims of genocide from a UN-mandated commission, several NGOs, and some countries, calling them “false” and “antisemitic”.
