Turkey issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and 36 Israeli officials on ‘genocide’ charges

The Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office announced the issuance of arrest warrants for 37 Israeli officials, including Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Katz, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Eyal Zamir and David Saar Salama, in connection with acts attributed to Israel in the Gaza Strip and incidents involving humanitarian missions.

According to the statement, the warrants are issued pursuant to Articles 76 and 77 of the Turkish Penal Code (“Genocide” and “Crimes against Humanity” respectively). The prosecution refers to “systematic attacks” from 7 October 2023 onwards, with thousands of deaths, including women and children, extensive material destruction and damage to health facilities.

The statement cites, among other things, the attack on al-Ahli Baptist Hospital on 17 October 2023, the obstruction of access to humanitarian aid and repeated attacks on medical facilities (with reference to the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital on 21 March 2025). According to the Prosecutor’s Office, these elements fall within the framework of international rules on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

In the section concerning the Global Flotilla Sumud, the Prosecutor’s Office notes that an ex officio investigation was initiated for acts such as “piracy, illegal detention, deprivation of liberty, causing damage” and “detention/hijacking of means of transport”, following an operation by the Israeli navy in international waters. The legal basis cited is Articles 12–13 of the Turkish Penal Code (jurisdiction over extraterritorial acts) and Article 15 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, as well as regulations of the Law of the Sea.

The Prosecutor’s Office reports the arrival of victims in Turkey by air on 4, 7, 9 and 10 October 2025, the conduct of forensic/psychological examinations at the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute and the taking of statements. At the same time, requests for assistance were sent to the Istanbul Police Directorate and the MIT.

According to the same statement, as part of the investigation, memorandums were filed by lawyers for the Flotilla members and a complaint was filed by the Istanbul Bar Association No. 2 on 7 November 2025. Subsequently, at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office, the competent court issued arrest warrants on 7 November 2025 for 37 individuals, who — as specified — are not currently in Turkey. The Prosecutor’s Office emphasizes that the process “continues with caution and at multiple levels” and that new information “will be announced publicly with due transparency.”

Turkish-Israeli relations, once marked by strategic military and economic cooperation in the 1990s and early 2000s, have deteriorated into one of the most hostile bilateral ties in the Middle East, reaching unprecedented lows amid Israel’s war in Gaza and broader regional rivalries.

Caption: A view showing posters with the words ‘Wanted’ and the faces of US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni displayed in Naples, Italy, 31 October 2025. EPA/CIRO FUSCO