Turkey has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the interception of a Gaza-bound flotilla earlier this year. Ankara is requesting Interpol to issue a ‘Red Notice’ against the Israeli leader, Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced on Friday. The France-based Interpol uses these notices to help countries locate and arrest fugitives abroad.
In the spring of 2026, the Israeli Navy intercepted a series of flotillas attempting to intrude into the country’s waters. The flotillas, each comprising several dozen boats, carried hundreds of activists, some of them with links to the terrorist group Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
While most of these boats originated from European ports, Israel in May intercepted a 57-boat flotilla from Turkey, detaining hundreds of would-be intruders, including some 100 Turkish nationals.
Responding to the arrest warrant, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office slammed the Erdogan regime’s efforts to “intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel.”
Erdogan “now seeks to extend his aggression against Israel into Syria. Israel will not tolerate it,” the statement added, referring to the ongoing Turkish attempts to build up its military presence in the war-torn Arab state.
The Prime Minister’s Office:
Erdoğan is an antisemitic dictator who has massacred Kurds, harbors Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus, and jails record numbers of journalists and politicians who oppose him. He now seeks to extend his aggression against Israel into Syria.…
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) August 21, 2026
The activists detained by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) generally received water, refreshments and medical assistance. Hamas repeatedly condemned Israel for stopping the flotillas.
These flotillas, carrying no substantial aid, claimed that they were going ‘to break the Israeli blockade’ of Gaza on humanitarian grounds. The Israeli naval blockade is in place to prevent weapons from reaching Gaza-based terrorists.
The newspaper Israel Hayom reported:
Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek confirmed Friday that his country asked Interpol to issue a red notice for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli leader faces this measure – a formal request for international detention – due to active legal proceedings concerning Israel’s thwarting of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which had claimed it was transporting relief to Gaza but was in fact a propaganda campaign that did not address any of Gaza’s humanitarian concerns. (…)
Istanbul’s 11th High Criminal Court is currently handling the trial related to the offshore incident, Gurlek posted on the domestic social network NSosyal. Netanyahu is among the 35 individuals facing charges in Turkey, which include a person the Turkish media reported as Afek Moskovitch, without providing details.
Warrants demanding the arrest of both men were authorized on July 14, 2026.
[Turkish Justice Minister Gurlek] emphasized that the prosecution targets Netanyahu and Moskovitch for their alleged involvement in the “armed intervention against civilians delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza in international waters and the detention of activists.”
Last year, the IDF released secret documents recovered from Gaza-based Hamas terrorists, showing ideological and financial ties between the Islamic terror group and the Flotilla campaign.
The news comes just days after the Israeli Air Force struck a Syrian air base to prevent Turkey’s takeover of the Assad-era facility. Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that he would not allow Turkey to expand its military footprint in the neighboring country. Our message was very clear. Don’t. I guess they didn’t quite understand the message,” he warned the Erdogan regime on Wednesday.
🚨 Israel struck Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase after intelligence indicated Turkey planned to significantly expand its military presence there, crossing an Israeli “red line,” Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told The Jerusalem Post.
Leiter said Israel warned… pic.twitter.com/gEPhLmjCv9
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) August 21, 2026
Israel eliminates Hamas commander who took part in October 7 massacre
As the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre approaches, the Israeli military and security services continue the hunt for the perpetrators. The IDF on Friday announced the elimination of another Hamas commander who infiltrated Israel and committed atrocities during the attack. “The IDF says it eliminated Sabahi Sami Mahmoud Shahata, a platoon commander in Hamas’s military wing, in a strike in the Nuseirat area two days ago,” Israeli TV channel i24NEWS reported Friday.
“According to the military, Shahata infiltrated Israel during the October 7 massacre and participated in holding numerous hostages in Gaza,” the broadcaster added. “He also took part in the November 2023 handover of hostages released under the temporary ceasefire agreement, transferring them to the Red Cross.”
Earlier this week, the military announced the elimination of several Hamas commanders responsible for the October 7 attack.
🔴ELIMINATED: Sabahi Sami Mahmoud Shahata, a platoon commander in Hamas’ military wing.
Sabahi infiltrated Israel & participated in the October 7 Massacre. He took part in holding numerous hostages in Hamas captivity. Additionally, he attempted to advance terror attacks against… pic.twitter.com/mrFeZgflDl
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 21, 2026
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