Overview
- Prosecutors in Istanbul said a duty magistrate approved arrest warrants for 37 suspects, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on charges under Turkey’s genocide and crimes‑against‑humanity statutes.
- Named officials include Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Navy Commander David Saar Salama.
- Investigators cited incidents such as the October 17, 2023 Al‑Ahli Baptist Hospital blast, the April 1, 2024 killings of World Central Kitchen aid workers, actions against the Sumud flotilla, and damage to the Turkish‑Palestinian Friendship Hospital.
- Israel rejected the warrants as political, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar calling them a PR stunt by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while Hamas publicly welcomed the Turkish step.
- The warrants raise enforcement and diplomatic questions, including Turkey’s prospective role in a proposed Gaza stabilization force tied to a U.S.‑brokered ceasefire that Israel says should exclude Turkish troops.