In a significant legal development, Turkey has issued an international arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as announced by Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek on Friday via X. This action is part of an ongoing investigation into the brutal interception of the 'Gaza Flotilla' that occurred in May. The warrant also targets another Israeli national for their involvement in actions conducted by the Israeli military in Gaza, which they filmed and shared on social media, as reported by IHA.
According to the Turkish Justice Minister, this legal procedure stems from the attack on international waters against activists of the Flotilla. He stated, 'In accordance with the arrest warrants issued on July 14, 2026, against Benjamin Netanyahu and Afek Moskovitch for genocide, the Ministry of Justice has requested the Ministry of Interior to issue red notices for their international arrest.' The charges laid against Netanyahu and Moskovitch include 'crimes against humanity, genocide, aggravated deprivation of liberty, willful injuries, torture, destruction of property, aggravated looting, and the diversion of transport vehicles.'
This is not the first time that Turkish authorities have sought to hold Netanyahu accountable. Back in November 2025, Turkish justice had already issued arrest warrants for 'genocide' against the Israeli Prime Minister and several other Israeli officials, condemning the systematic 'genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Israeli state in Gaza.'
Turkey has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel's military actions in Gaza, particularly following the Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023. The country joined South Africa in pursuing genocide charges against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last year.
The 'Gaza Flotilla' was violently intercepted in May while traversing international waters between Cyprus and the Israeli coast. Around 430 crew members and passengers aboard approximately fifty vessels were forcibly taken to Israel by the Israeli military, subsequently detained at the Ktziot prison in southern Israel before being expelled and sent to Istanbul by Turkey.
Originating from Turkish shores, the activists of the 'Global Sumud Flotilla' aimed to draw attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has suffered from over two years of conflict, by attempting to breach the maritime blockade imposed by Israel. A previous Gaza flotilla had already been intercepted by Israel off the coast of Greece in April.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stirred controversy both within his government and abroad by posting a video showing Gaza flotilla activists kneeling with their hands tied after being arrested at sea.
According to IHA, which cites the full text of the new indictment, Afek Moskovitch is identified as a soldier in the 71st Armored Battalion of the Israeli army, implicated for his actions in the Palestinian territory of Gaza. The indictment notes that Moskovitch shared on his Instagram account footage depicting eight tanks and a bulldozer destroying the hospital and medical faculty of the Islamic University of Gaza located nearby. The video evidently indicates that this was a systematic operation targeting not only the hospital but also the adjacent university building.
As reported by h24info.ma.
