Netanyahu Orders Preparation of Potential ICC Case Against Erdogan Over Kurds and Hamas

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered officials to begin preparing a potential legal case against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the International Criminal Court, focusing on Turkey’s treatment of Kurdish minorities and alleged support for Hamas, according to an exclusive report by i24NEWS.

The report said Netanyahu instructed an Israeli inter-ministerial team and the director of the Justice Ministry’s International Law Department to examine the possibility of bringing the case.

The move comes amid a sharp escalation in tensions between Israel and Turkey.

In August, Turkey sought an Interpol Red Notice for Netanyahu as part of legal proceedings linked to Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in the Mediterranean. Turkish authorities accused Netanyahu and another Israeli official of offences including genocide and crimes against humanity.

Erdogan has also intensified his criticism of Netanyahu and Israel. On September 26, the Turkish president said Israeli officials wanted by the ICC should face trial, arguing that those accused of crimes should answer in court.

Kurdish issue at centre of proposed case

According to i24NEWS, the proposed Israeli case would focus heavily on Erdogan’s treatment of Kurdish minorities in Turkey, while also examining allegations concerning Turkish government support and funding for Hamas.

The report said Israel could potentially seek to have the matter brought before the ICC through a third party rather than filing directly.

Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute, while Turkey is also not a member of the ICC. The legal basis and potential route for any such case would therefore be a significant issue if the proposal moves forward.

Sources cited by i24NEWS said Israel may ultimately decide not to pursue the case. Instead, officials could use the preparation of a potential case as diplomatic leverage against Erdogan and as a deterrent.

Neither Netanyahu nor Israeli Justice Ministry officials commented on the report.

The developments mark another escalation in an increasingly confrontational relationship between Ankara and Jerusalem, with disputes extending from Gaza and Hamas to Syria and international legal proceedings.

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