Turkey's Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued arrest warrants on November 7 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 other senior officials, accusing them of genocide and crimes against humanity in Gaza's war-torn landscape. The sweeping action, prompted by complaints from human rights groups and the Istanbul Bar Association, alleges systematic atrocities since October 2023, including the bombing of Turkey's Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in March 2025. Named suspects include Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and IDF Chief Eyal Zamir, with the court invoking Turkish Penal Code articles on genocide amid a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire holding since October 10.
Israel swiftly condemned the move as political theater. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar dismissed it on X as a "contemptible PR stunt by the tyrant Erdogan," pointing to Turkey's judiciary as a tool for suppressing dissent, like the March detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. Former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman echoed the fury, arguing the warrants prove Turkey's unfitness for any role in Gaza's post-war stabilization force under President Trump's peace plan. Jerusalem has long opposed Ankara's involvement, viewing its Hamas ties and pro-Palestinian advocacy— including joining South Africa's ICJ genocide case last year—as biased.
Hamas hailed the warrants as a "commendable measure affirming Turkey's commitment to justice and humanity," strengthening ties between Ankara and the militant group. The announcement follows the ICC's October 2024 warrants for Netanyahu on war crimes, which Israel labeled "antisemitic," and comes amid reports of over 68,000 Palestinian deaths and 170,000 injuries since the conflict's onset. Turkey's push for a spot in Gaza's multinational security force now faces steeper hurdles, as Israeli leaders vow to block any "Hamas enabler" from reconstruction efforts.
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The warrants, unenforceable outside Turkey, amplify global divides over Gaza, where a UN commission and NGOs have echoed genocide claims Israel deems "false and baseless." As diplomatic tensions flare, analysts see this as Erdogan's bid to rally Muslim world support, potentially complicating Trump's regional blueprint. With U.S. Vice President JD Vance insisting Israel must approve any foreign troops, the move risks derailing fragile peace talks and spotlighting the war's unresolved scars.
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