ISTANBUL, 8 November (H.S.): Turkey has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and dozens of other senior Israeli officials, accusing them of genocide and crimes against humanity for their roles in the war in Gaza. The move, announced Friday by the Istanbul prosecutor's office, marks a dramatic escalation in the diplomatic fallout between the two nations.

The warrants target 37 Israeli officials, including Defence Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. The prosecutor's statement accuses the officials of perpetrating systematic atrocities in the Gaza Strip, specifically citing the bombing of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in March.

This legal action follows Turkey's decision last year to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).Israel has vehemently rejected the accusations. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar dismissed the warrants as a public relations stunt orchestrated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In contrast, Hamas praised the decision, calling it a confirmation of the noble positions of the Turkish people and its leadership.The warrants were issued amidst a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which has been in effect since October 10 as part of a broader regional peace plan brokered by the United States. The action complicates the diplomatic landscape, particularly as Turkey has been positioned as a potential guarantor of the truce and a key player in discussions about a post-war multinational security force for Gaza.

Tensions between the two countries were already high, with Turkey having severed all diplomatic and trade ties with Israel over the conflict.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar