Ankara accuses dozens of Israeli officials of "systematic" crimes against civilians in Gaza

The Istanbul Prosecutor's Office has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 other senior officials for alleged genocide and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, according to Turkish media.

Israel launched its military campaign in response to the Hamas-led raid on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people. The retaliatory strikes and ground operations have since killed over 68,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health authorities.

The warrants, released by Istanbul's Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on Friday, accuse Israeli officials of participating in a "systematic" campaign of violence against civilians, including the bombing of the TurkishPalestinian Friendship Hospital and the obstruction of humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza.

In addition to Netanyahu, the warrant list includes Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar BenGvir, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and Navy Commander David Saar Salama.

"In light of the evidence obtained, it has been determined that Israeli state officials bear criminal responsibility for the systematic acts of 'crimes against humanity' and 'genocide' committed in Gaza," the statement read, noting that "the suspects could not be apprehended as they are not currently in Trkiye."

Israel condemned the move as politically motivated and without legal basis. "Israel firmly rejects, with contempt, the latest PR stunt by the tyrant [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan," Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X.

Earlier this year, a UN commission also accused Israel of committing acts amounting to genocide. Netanyahu is already the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant, along with former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and several Hamas leaders, issued by the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2024.

Israel, which is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, has rejected the accusations. Its close ally, the United States, also not a party to the ICC, has launched a pressure campaign against the court, including blacklisting several of its judges and prosecutors.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in early October under US President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan - one of the eight wars the US leader claims to have ended in eight months. However, violence has repeatedly flared up since then, with hundreds of Palestinians and at least two Israeli soldiers killed, as both sides continue to trade blame over breaches of the truce.