Turkey issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu & 36 Israeli officials over Gaza “genocide”

Turkey announced on Friday that it has issued an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials for 'genocide' and 'crime against humanity' in Gaza. Israel rejected these allegations, calling them the ‘latest PR stunt’ by the tyrannical Erdogan. Istanbul's chief public prosecutor's office said that a total of 37 warrants were issued under ‘Article 13 of Turkey’s penal code’, which allows Turkey to prosecute personnel for crimes committed outside the country.

“The October 17, 2023, attack on the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital claimed 500 lives; on February 29, 2024, Israeli soldiers deliberately destroyed medical equipment; … Gaza was placed under blockade, and victims were denied access to humanitarian aid,” it said. The statement also refers to the Turkish-Palestinian friendship hospital that was bombed by Israel in March 2025.

Hamas welcomed the announcement, calling it a ‘commendable’ measure. It appreciated the sincerity of the leader and people of Turkey and their "values of justice, humanity and fraternity that bind them to our oppressed Palestinian people".

Turkey, on November 3, 2025, hosted a string of top diplomats from the Islamic world to bring their influence to bear on the future of Gaza, as fears grow for the increasingly fragile truce. The October 10 ceasefire in the two-year-long Israel-Hamas war, brokered by US President Donald Trump, has been sorely tested by continued Israeli strikes and claims of Palestinian attacks on Israeli soldiers

ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Israeli officials

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu, alongside Yoav Gallant, almost a year ago in November 21, 2024. According to that, all 124 member nations are obligated to arrest them if they enter the territory of those countries. However, the Israeli Prime Minister visited Hungary, which is a signatory to the Rome Statute, in April this year. Hungary refused to comply with the ICC arrest warrant and signalled to withdraw from the ICC in relation to this matter. Netanyahu has also visited the United States for the sessions of the United Nations General Assembly after the warrant, but he and his delegation used special flying routes to avoid countries that might work on the arrest warrant. The United States is not obliged to comply with the ICC, as it is not a party to the Rome Statute and calls the warrant ‘outrageous’.