Netanyahu orders preparation of a potential ICC case against Erdogan over Turkey’s Kurdish policies and alleged Hamas funding, i24NEWS reports.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu © Sergey Bobylev/TASS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed his government to prepare a potential Netanyahu ICC case against Erdogan, focusing on allegations involving Turkey’s Kurdish population and Ankara’s alleged financing of Hamas, according to a report by i24NEWS. The development comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he intended to ask Interpol to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
According to sources cited by i24NEWS, Netanyahu directed an interagency team to compile allegations concerning Turkey’s Kurdish population and alleged Hamas funding. The report said the proposed legal action could be taken before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Netanyahu ICC Case Against Erdogan Focuses on Kurds and Hamas
The reported ICC case against Erdogan would examine allegations related to the Turkish government’s actions toward its Kurdish population, while also addressing claims concerning Ankara’s alleged financing of Hamas.
The report said Netanyahu gave the instruction after Erdogan announced his intention to approach Interpol over Netanyahu. The move adds another legal and diplomatic dimension to the growing dispute between Benjamin Netanyahu and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to i24NEWS, Israel could potentially submit the case to the ICC itself or seek another country to act as an intermediary.
ICC Jurisdiction Could Pose a Challenge
A potential Netanyahu ICC case against Erdogan could face questions concerning the court’s jurisdiction. Neither Israel nor Turkey is a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court. Neither country recognizes the ICC’s jurisdiction.
The ICC is based in The Hague and investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity when the court has jurisdiction.
The report noted that Netanyahu’s office had not commented on the claims at the time of publication.
Netanyahu Already Faces an ICC Arrest Warrant
The reported Netanyahu ICC case against Erdogan comes after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024.
On November 21, 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Israel rejected the allegations. According to the ICC, the warrant for Netanyahu concerns alleged responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population, as well as alleged crimes against humanity including murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.
The ICC has stated that the arrest warrant was issued on November 21, 2024, and its current defendant information lists Netanyahu as “at large.”
The development involving Erdogan therefore places the ICC case against Erdogan in the wider context of continuing legal and diplomatic tensions surrounding the International Criminal Court, Israel and Turkey.
Diplomatic Dispute Between Israel and Turkey
The reported Netanyahu ICC case against Erdogan follows an increasingly confrontational exchange between the Israeli and Turkish governments.
Erdogan has previously criticized Netanyahu over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, while Netanyahu has made allegations concerning Turkey’s treatment of its Kurdish population and its relationship with Hamas.
The latest report indicates that Netanyahu’s government is now considering compiling allegations against Erdogan for possible presentation to the International Criminal Court.
At this stage, the report concerns the preparation of allegations and a possible legal filing. It does not state that an ICC case against Erdogan has already been formally filed.
The The Times of Russia report is based on information attributed to i24NEWS regarding the reported preparation of a potential Netanyahu ICC case against Erdogan. The allegations concern Turkey’s Kurdish population and alleged Hamas funding, while the proposed legal route could involve the International Criminal Court.
The situation also follows the ICC’s November 2024 arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
The Netanyahu ICC case against Erdogan remains at the reported preparation stage, with Netanyahu’s office yet to publicly comment on the claims.
