Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Netanyahu instructed an inter-ministerial team and the director of Israel’s International Law Department to begin preparing the case, according to the report by i24NEWS. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who himself has an arrest warrant by International Criminal Court, has asked an inter-ministerial team to prepare a potential case for ICC against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over Turkey’s treatment of Kurds and alleged support for Hamas.
The report said the proposed legal action would focus primarily on Erdogan’s treatment of Kurdish minorities in Turkey, while also examining allegations related to Turkish government funding and support for Hamas. The ICC said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu was criminally responsible for alleged acts including starvation as a method of warfare, murder, persecution and other inhumane acts. Netanyahu and Israel have rejected the allegations and challenged the court’s jurisdiction. i24NEWS said the preparation of the case could also be linked to Turkey’s efforts to pursue action against Netanyahu through international channels. The report also said Israeli officials hoped the case might not ultimately need to be filed, with the threat of potential legal action being considered as a deterrent against further Turkish moves.
Netanyahu’s office and Israel’s Justice Ministry declined to comment on the report.
Human Rights Watch said in its 2026 report that Turkey had yet to take steps to ensure equal rights for Kurds, amend what it described as abusive counterterrorism laws or release Kurdish political prisoners. Human rights groups have for years criticised Ankara over its treatment of Kurdish politicians and activists.