Benjamin Netanyahu (AP)
Turkey announced on Friday that it has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several senior officials, accusing them of committing genocide during the war in Gaza.The Istanbul prosecutor’s office said in a statement that arrest warrants were issued for 37 individuals, though it did not release the full list. Those named include Israeli defence minister Israel Katz, National security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and army chief Lt general Eyal Zamir.Turkey has accused the Israeli officials of “genocide and crimes against humanity” that it says Israel has “perpetrated systematically” in Gaza, as reported by the Guardian. The statement also cited the bombing of the “Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital,” built by Turkey in Gaza and struck by Israel later in March.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.” Turkey, one of the most outspoken critics of the Gaza war, joined South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last year, accusing Israel of genocide.Israel dismissed the move as a “PR stunt.””In Erdoğan’s Turkey, the judiciary has long since become a tool for silencing political rivals and detaining journalists, judges, and mayors. Israel firmly rejects, with contempt, the latest PR stunt by the tyrant Erdoğan,” foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said through a post on X. Turkey has shown interest in joining the international stabilization force proposed in Trump’s plan for post-war Gaza. However, Israel views Ankara’s diplomatic efforts and attempts to influence US policy unfavorably, believing Turkey is too close to Hamas. Israeli leaders have repeatedly voiced opposition to any Turkish role in the Gaza stabilization force, as reported by AFP. Turkey’s announcement comes nearly a year after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the then-defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged “war crimes.”Since October 2023, Israel’s war in Gaza has killed at least 68,875 Palestinians and injured 170,679.
