ANKARA/ISTANBUL

The Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF) presented the Final Verdict of the Gaza Tribunal, established to investigate Israeli war crimes in Gaza, to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as its first recipient.

An ICYF statement said the verdict, prepared in relation to grave human rights violations and acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip, was presented by the forum’s president, Taha Ayhan, during a meeting Friday.

Erdogan was thanked for his principled stance and emphasis on justice in response to the genocide in Gaza, said the statement.

The Final Verdict, which was announced in Istanbul on Oct. 26, conveys the assessments of international civil society and its call for justice regarding events in Gaza.

The tribunal’s Jury of Conscience concluded that the occupying state and its collaborators involved in the process are responsible for the genocide and related grave international crimes.

The verdict particularly emphasized that acts such as “the use of starvation as a weapon, ecocide (the systematic destruction of nature), the destruction of homes and living spaces (domicide), targeting health infrastructure and health workers, attacks on journalists and educational institutions, and the systematic eradication of civilian life” constitute serious crimes under international law.

Final Verdict to be presented worldwide

Following the presentation to Erdogan, the Final Verdict will be presented worldwide, according to the statement.

ICYF said evidence and witness testimonies collected throughout the tribunal process will be compiled by expert jurists and submitted to relevant authorities for use in ongoing and potential future legal proceedings before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Officials from the Gaza Tribunal stressed that the process is “not an end,” but rather a new phase in the struggle for justice and accountability, urging the international community to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Gaza and bring those responsible to justice.

Gaza historic turning point for global conscience

The President of the Gaza Tribunal and former UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine Richard Falk, following the announcement of the verdict, said that what is happening in Gaza is not merely a regional crisis, but a “historic turning point” for the global conscience and international law.

He said the Gaza Tribunal process, together with witness testimonies, expert assessments and archived evidence, has created a moral and legal record that the “international community can no longer ignore.”

Falk also called for an end to crimes in Gaza and for those responsible to be brought to justice.

The Gaza Tribunal Process

The Gaza Tribunal was established in London in November 2024 as an independent people’s tribunal initiative launched by global civil society in response to the failure of international law to be effectively applied to the genocide in Gaza.

The tribunal’s executive and advisory committees include distinguished international professors, leading international jurists and well-known figures from civil society and solidarity movements.

The process began with the first main hearings in Sarajevo from May 26 - 29, and continued with the final hearings in Istanbul from Oct. 23 - 26, 2025, which were attended by 3,000 people.