Turkey has issued an arrest warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The country accused him and several top Israeli officials of committing genocide in Gaza. The move comes amid rising tensions in West Asia.

37 Israeli Officials Named

Turkish authorities on Friday listed 37 Israeli officials as suspects. The list includes Defence Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Army Chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir. The Istanbul prosecutor’s office said these officials committed “genocide and crimes against humanity” that Israel has “perpetrated systematically” in Gaza.

The office also mentioned the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza, built by Turkey, which Israeli forces bombed in March.

Israel Rejects the Move

Israel quickly dismissed the warrants. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called them political theatre. He wrote on X, “Israel firmly rejects, with contempt, the latest PR stunt by the tyrant [President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan.”

He added, “In Erdoğan’s Turkey, the judiciary has long since become a tool for silencing political rivals and detaining journalists, judges, and mayors.” Sa’ar was referring to the earlier arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

Turkey’s Role in Global Legal Action

Last year, Turkey joined South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice, which accused Israel of genocide. The new warrants come as a fragile ceasefire holds in Gaza under Donald Trump’s regional peace plan since October 10.

Hamas Welcomes the Decision

Hamas praised Turkey’s move. The group said the warrants “confirm the noble positions of the Turkish people and their leadership.” The action, however, has raised questions about Turkey’s future role in the planned multinational security force for Gaza.

Talks on Security Force in Istanbul

Earlier this week, several Muslim-majority nations met in Istanbul. They discussed creating an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza. The ISF is a key part of the 20-point Gaza peace plan proposed by Trump earlier this year.

However, US Vice President JD Vance said Israel must approve any deployment of foreign troops in Gaza. He made it clear that no plan can move forward without Israel’s consent.