Turkey's Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced on 21/8 that the country requested Interpol issue a red notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and one person named Afek Moskovitch.

This decision stems from a case initiated by Turkey, accusing the two of "genocide" and other crimes related to Israel's interception of an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip in international waters.

Prime Minister Netanyahu's office quickly declared Israel "unmoved by Turkey's hypocrisy." It also criticized Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan as "anti-Semitic."

The statement affirmed Israel would "continue to act decisively against Turkey's destabilizing efforts in the region."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. _Reuters_

Turkey immediately retaliated. Erdogan's office called Israel's statements "outrageous nonsense" and accused Netanyahu's government of "seeking to evade responsibility."

"This cheap political maneuver by Netanyahu and his associates, aimed at gaining an electoral advantage, holds no value whatsoever," Turkey's side declared.

Turkish news agency IHA reported that Moskovitch, accused alongside Netanyahu, is an Israeli soldier involved in actions in the Gaza Strip. IHA stated Moskovitch posted Instagram images showing tanks and bulldozers destroying buildings at the Islamic University of Gaza and a local hospital.

In May, around 50 vessels of the Sumud Global Aid Convoy, carrying around 430 activists, departed Turkey for the isolated Palestinian territory. The Israeli military detained the activists in the Mediterranean Sea, taking them to a detention facility before their deportation. This action drew international condemnation, with France, Italy, and Australia also initiating legal proceedings.

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir faced criticism at the time after releasing a video mocking aid activists kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs on the flotilla.