Istanbul indicts Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla raid

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has formally charged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with 34 other suspects over a military intervention against the Global Sumud Flotilla. The humanitarian convoy was carrying urgent relief supplies to Gaza when Israeli naval forces struck the vessels in international waters last year.

Multiple severe charges filed in indictment

Prosecutors are seeking aggravated life imprisonment for the accused, in addition to prison terms ranging from nearly 1,103 years to over 4,596 years per suspect. The indictment lists offenses such as genocide, crimes against humanity, unlawful detention, torture, property destruction, organized looting, and seizure of transport vessels.

Legal basis rooted in international maritime law

The probe was launched automatically (ex officio) after the attack. Istanbul prosecutors based their jurisdiction on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, alongside Articles 12 and 13 of the Turkish Penal Code and Article 15 of Türkiye’s Criminal Procedure Code.

September 2025 raid on aid convoy

Organizers reported that in September 2025, Israeli forces stopped the flotilla, boarded the ships without warning, detained volunteers, and forcibly relocated them to Israel. The indictment stresses that all actions occurred outside Israeli territorial waters, making the raid a breach of international law. Türkiye has consistently backed legal accountability for those who block humanitarian access to Gaza.