(MENAFN) The Palestinian faction Hamas expressed its approval of a Turkish court’s ruling on Friday, which authorized arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 other senior officials. They face accusations of genocide and crimes against humanity in connection with Israel’s devastating assault on the Gaza Strip.

The warrants, issued by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, target several top Israeli figures, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Army Chief Eyal Zamir, and Israeli Naval Forces Commander David Saar Salama.

In an official statement, Hamas described the decision as “a commendable step” that “reflects the genuine positions of the Turkish people and leadership in standing firmly by justice, humanity, and the bonds of brotherhood that unite them with our oppressed Palestinian people, who have faced and continue to face one of the most brutal genocidal wars in modern history at the hands of the fascist occupation leaders.”

Hamas further appealed to international governments and judicial institutions to “issue legal warrants to pursue the leaders of the Zionist (Israeli) occupation wherever they are, and to bring them before courts to hold them accountable for their crimes against humanity.”

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court also released arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

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