Gaza genocide: Turkiye issues arrest warrant against Netanyahu, other Israeli officials

The Turkish government has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 37 other senior Israeli officials over committing “crimes against humanity” in Gaza and killing hundreds of Palestinians in the bombing of hospitals.

The move by Turkiye comes after it joined South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024. The International Criminal Court (ICC) had also issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and several Israeli officials, stating that they were involved in grave human rights violations in Gaza.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir are among the 37 Israeli suspects wanted by Turkiye. The names of the other officials have not been released.

A statement issued on Friday said that Israeli occupation forces bombed the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital on October 17, 2023, and later destroyed medical equipment on February 29, 2024.

In March, Israel also attacked the “Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital.” The charges also include Israel’s deliberate blockade of humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, forcing thousands to suffer from starvation and malnutrition, and depriving them of medical supplies amid ruthless bombings and bloodshed.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas praised Turkiye for holding Israel accountable for its brutal military assault on innocent civilians in Gaza, stating that it reflects “the sincere stance 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.”

Meanwhile, Israel condemned the arrest warrants, describing them as a “PR stunt.” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “tyrant.”

Israel has killed at least 68,875 Palestinians and wounded 170,679 in its ongoing war on Gaza that began in October 2023, while thousands still remain buried under the rubble.