Turkish Prosecutors Demand Life and Up to 4,596 Years for Netanyahu and Israeli Leadership

In a bold and unprecedented legal offensive, Turkish prosecutors have demanded life imprisonment for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alongside prison terms reaching as high as 4,596 years for him and other senior Israeli officials, on charges of genocide and a litany of related international crimes.

Citing the Turkish daily Hürriyet, RIA Novosti reports that Istanbul’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants in November 2025 for Netanyahu and 34 other high-ranking figures. The accusations centre on alleged genocide, the relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip, and the deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid to the enclave.

The prosecution has now filed a formal indictment with Istanbul’s 10th Heavy Penal Court, seeking life sentences combined with additional prison terms ranging from 1,102 to 4,596 years for all 35 defendants. Among those named are Defence Minister Israel Katz, his predecessor Yoav Gallant, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir, and Navy Commander David Saar Salama.

The officials stand accused of crimes against humanity, genocide, unlawful deprivation of liberty, cruel treatment, causing damage, plunder, and the confiscation of vehicles. The proceedings, conducted in absentia, represent one of the most sweeping symbolic indictments ever levelled by a foreign court against Israel’s wartime leadership.