Türkiye has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 other senior Israeli officials over allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity committed during Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the decision on Friday, listing Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Army Chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, and Naval Forces Commander David Saar Salama among those accused.

According to the statement, Israeli leaders are accused of “genocide and crimes against humanity” that have been “systematically perpetrated” in Gaza since October 2023.

The document cites numerous incidents, including the October 17, 2023, bombing of al-Ahli Baptist Hospital that killed about 500 people, and the deliberate destruction of medical equipment on February 29, 2024.

It also mentions the blockade imposed on Gaza and Israel’s bombing of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, built by Türkiye in the enclave and struck in March.

Turkish authorities described the decision as a legal response to documented atrocities. “This action reaffirms the universality of jurisdiction in confronting war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the prosecutor’s office said, underlining Türkiye’s stance that “no official, regardless of position, is above the law.”

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the warrants, calling them “a victory for the principle of justice and an embodiment of the will of free nations and leaders rejecting the policy of impunity that some countries have granted to Israel.”

It praised the step as “an advanced legal and moral stance” and urged other nations to follow Türkiye’s example in holding Israeli officials accountable for crimes against Palestinians.

Türkiye’s announcement comes nearly a year after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Ankara had also joined South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Israel of genocide.

Since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, at least 68,875 Palestinians have been killed and over 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza health authorities. The majority of the victims are women and children.