Istanbul court issues arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 other Israeli officials
The Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office announced the opening of a criminal case against senior Israeli officials for systematic violations of the rights of civilians and international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip. Following the investigation, an Istanbul court issued arrest warrants for 37 Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir, and Navy Commander David Saar Salamar. This was reported by Daily Sabah.
The statement of the department noted that during the investigation of the Israeli army’s attacks on civilian objects, hospitals and humanitarian missions, as well as the blockade of Gaza, evidence of massive violations of international conventions was collected. The prosecutor’s office qualified their actions as “genocide”, “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity”.
The investigation was launched after the attack by Israeli forces on the international flotilla “Sumud”, which was heading to Gaza with humanitarian aid. The evidence collected by the investigation includes testimonies from victims, medical reports and materials confirming attacks on hospitals and civilian infrastructure.
The statement from the prosecutor’s office emphasizes that Israeli military and political leaders are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including women and children, for the destruction of humanitarian facilities and actions that led to a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The investigation covers events recorded since October 2023, including attacks on Al-Ahli Hospital, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, as well as blockades and attacks on humanitarian missions.
The proceedings are being conducted under the leadership of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office with the participation of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and the Istanbul Security Directorate. The statement stressed that Turkey “strongly advocates for holding all those responsible for crimes against the Palestinian people to international accountability.”
