Asiye Latife Yılmaz
07 November 2025•Update: 07 November 2025
ISTANBUL
An Istanbul court on Friday issued arrest warrants for 37 suspects, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza and against the Global Sumud Flotilla vessel that was seized in October.
The warrants were issued upon the request of the Istanbul chief public prosecutor’s office, which said in a statement that as a result of the systematic genocide and crimes against humanity committed by the state of Israel in Gaza to date, thousands of people, including women and children, have lost their lives, thousands more have been injured, and residential areas have been rendered unusable.
Recalling that six-year-old Hind Rajab was killed with 335 bullets by Israeli soldiers on Jan. 29, 2024, the statement said: “Since Oct. 7, 2023, such actions have continued to escalate daily. The Oct. 17, 2023 attack on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital claimed 500 lives; on Feb. 29, 2024, Israeli soldiers deliberately destroyed medical equipment; on Mar. 21, 2025, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital was bombed; many other health facilities were also attacked similarly; Gaza was placed under blockade, and victims were denied access to humanitarian aid.”
The statement noted that this situation drew wide attention from the international community, and that activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla had set sail toward Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid but were attacked by the Israeli navy in international waters.
It added that an ex officio investigation was launched into this assault under the Turkish Penal Code articles 12 and 13, the Code of Criminal Procedure article 15, and provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the crimes of “torture,” “aggravated looting,” “damage to property,” “deprivation of liberty,” and “hijacking or detention of transport vehicles.”
The statement said that victims detained by Israel were sent to Türkiye by air on Oct. 4, 7, 9, and 10, where they underwent medical and psychological examinations at the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute and the reports 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.
During the investigation, the victims’ legal representatives also submitted petitions to the prosecutor’s office regarding the process, and the Istanbul No. 2 Bar Association filed a criminal complaint on Friday, the statement said.
“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.
The statement added that the investigation is being carried out meticulously and comprehensively.
