TURKIYE SEEKS SAFE PASSAGE FOR 200 CIVILIANS TRAPPED IN GAZA TUNNELS: REPORT

Mon 10 November 2025:

Türkiye is working to ensure the safe passage of some 200 civilians trapped in tunnels in Gaza, after having facilitated the return of a deceased Israeli soldier killed there more than a decade ago, a senior Turkish official said late on Sunday.

Hamas earlier said that fighters holed up in the Israeli-held Rafah area will not surrender to Israel and it urged mediators to find a solution to a crisis that threatens the month-old cease-fire.

Separately on Sunday, Israel said it received the remains of Hadar Goldin, a military officer killed in an ambush in Gaza during the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, after a handover by the Red Cross.

Türkiye, the senior official said, “successfully facilitated the return of Hadar Goldin’s remains to Israel after 11 years” after “intensive efforts (reflecting) Hamas’ clear commitment to the cease-fire.”

“At the same time, we are working to ensure the safe passage of some 200 Gazan civilians currently trapped in the tunnels,” the official told Reuters.

Türkiye was a signatory to last month’s Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump. It has close ties with the Palestinian group and has fiercely criticized Israel’s genocidal military campaign in Gaza.

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

Most recently, a Hamas delegation conveyed its gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Türkiye for their mediation and guarantor role in securing and monitoring the Gaza cease-fire deal during a recent meeting with the head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) last week.

The first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza cease-fire deal went into effect on Oct. 10. Phase one includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Since then, Israel has violated the agreement at least 194 times by claiming Hamas members crossed the cease-fire zone “yellow line” and attacked Israeli soldiers, according to Gaza’s government media office.

The media office has also said that from Oct. 10 to the end of the month, only 3,203 trucks entered Gaza out of the 13,200 that were supposed to enter under the deal, a 24% compliance rate.

President Erdoğan has blasted Israel for “seeking excuses” to violate the deal and “resume its massacres.”

“Everyone knows Israel’s terrible record when it comes to keeping its promises,” Erdoğan said last Friday. He stressed that the continuation of the cease-fire, delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the transition to Gaza’s reconstruction phase will only be possible “if Israel is compelled on all these matters.”

Since the escalation of violence in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, Türkiye has emerged as one of the most active countries supporting the Palestinian people through large-scale humanitarian relief, diplomatic mediation and calls for accountability under international law.

From massive aid deliveries and patient evacuations to shuttle diplomacy led by senior officials, Ankara has sustained its efforts for nearly two years while insisting that a just and lasting peace can only be achieved through a two-state solution.

Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan have maintained constant contact with regional and international counterparts, including Egypt, Qatar and the U.S., to push for cease-fire terms acceptable to all sides.

At international platforms, Ankara has repeatedly condemned Israeli attacks on civilian areas and restrictions on aid entry, describing them as violations of humanitarian law. Türkiye has backed legal efforts to hold perpetrators accountable and voiced full support for the recognition of a Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. The government suspended trade with Israel earlier this year in protest of continued attacks and the obstruction of aid convoys, while urging other nations to apply similar pressure.

Last year, Ankara also joined a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), launched by South Africa, over its war crimes in Gaza.

Source: Independent Press with Daily Sabah

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22