Turkey has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and dozens of other senior Israeli officials on allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity. The warrants, released on Friday, November 7, by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, target 37 individuals in total.
Alongside Netanyahu, those named include Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. The charges relate to Israel’s actions in Gaza and the recent interception of an aid flotilla headed to the enclave.
Israel swiftly condemned the warrants.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar dismissed the move as a political publicity stunt by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusing Turkey’s judicial system of being used to suppress political opposition—citing the past arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as an example.
Meanwhile, Hamas praised Turkey’s decision, saying it reflects the principled stance of the Turkish people and their leadership.
The development also complicates discussions about Turkey’s potential role in an international security mission for Gaza, part of a U.S.-backed ceasefire arrangement.
Earlier in the week, several Muslim-majority nations convened in Istanbul to discuss forming an International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza, a key component of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace proposal. The temporary force would help train a new Palestinian police unit and support security efforts in the region.
While U.S. officials have suggested Turkey could be a major contributor—given its influence in securing Hamas’s agreement to the ceasefire—Israel has firmly rejected the idea of Turkish troops operating in Gaza. U.S. Vice President JD Vance reiterated that Israel must approve the deployment of any foreign forces.
The Turkish warrants come nearly a year after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued its own arrest warrant for Netanyahu on war crimes charges, a move the Israeli prime minister’s office also labeled “absurd and antisemitic.”
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