Key facts
- Netanyahu ordered preparation of a legal case against Erdogan.
- Turkey requested an Interpol red notice for Netanyahu.
- Israel may pursue a case against Erdogan at the ICC.
- The case would focus on Erdogan's government's relationship with Hamas and Kurdish groups.
- Netanyahu called Erdogan a "tyrant" in a UN speech.
- Turkey accused Israel of "genocide" in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered an interministerial team and a senior Justice Ministry official to prepare a legal case against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, i24NEWS reported on Sunday. This directive follows an announcement by Erdogan that Turkey had requested Interpol to issue a red notice for Netanyahu.
Israel is considering bringing the case before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which previously issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to actions in Gaza since October 2023. However, Israel is more likely to pursue the case through a third party or use it as a means to pressure Erdogan, according to the report.