Copyright pakobserver
ISTANBUL – An Istanbul court has issued arrest warrants for 37 individuals, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing them of crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza, as well as attacks on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted by Israeli forces in October this year. The warrants were issued following a request from the Istanbul chief public prosecutor’s office, which released a statement outlining the charges. The prosecutor’s office condemned Israel for committing systematic acts of genocide and crimes against humanity in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians, including women and children. Additionally, many residential areas in Gaza were rendered uninhabitable. The prosecutor’s statement highlighted several incidents, such as the killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab by Israeli forces on January 29, 2024, who was reportedly shot 335 times. The statement also cited an October 17, 2023 attack on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, which killed 500 people, and the bombing of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in March 2025. The statement further condemned Israel’s destruction of medical equipment in February 2024 and other similar attacks on health facilities. It noted that Gaza has been under blockade, with the population being deprived of access to humanitarian aid. The statement also drew attention to the case of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a group of activists who attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza but were attacked by the Israeli navy while in international waters. In response to this assault, Turkish authorities initiated a criminal investigation under national and international laws, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The investigation includes charges such as torture, looting, property damage, unlawful detention, and hijacking. Victims who were detained by Israeli forces were later flown to Turkey between October 4 and 10, 2023. Upon arrival, they underwent medical and psychological evaluations at the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute, and the results were submitted to the prosecutor’s office. “Our Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office took the statements of individuals in the capacity of victims and complainants, and letters were sent to the Istanbul Provincial Security Directorate and the National Intelligence Organization for the purpose of uncovering the material truth and identifying individuals with criminal responsibility in the incident during the investigation,” the office said. The statement said several petitions were also submitted by the legal representatives of the victims to the prosecutor’s office. “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, as well as for the actions carried out against the Global Sumud Fleet,” it added. “It was determined that the suspects could not be apprehended as they are not currently in Türkiye. Upon the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, on Nov. 7, 2025, the Istanbul Criminal Court of Peace on duty issued arrest warrants for 37 suspects, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir, and Navy Commander David Saar Salama, on charges of “crimes against humanity” under Article 77 and “genocide” under Article 76 of the Turkish Penal Code,” the office said.
