Turkey seeks to secure safe passage for dozens of fighters trapped in a tunnel in Gaza
Turkish authorities have spoken about their role in facilitating the return of Hadar Goldin’s remains to Israel, eleven years after his death.
A senior Turkish official said late Sunday that Turkey is working to provide a safe corridor for around 200 civilians trapped in tunnels in Gaza, after facilitating the repatriation of an Israeli soldier killed there more than a decade ago. Turkish sources indicate that these “civilians” are believed to be Hamas fighters.
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) earlier stated that its fighters entrenched in the Rafah area, now under Israeli control, would not surrender, urging mediators to find a solution to the standoff threatening the ceasefire that has been in place for a month.
Separately, Israel announced on Sunday that it had received the remains of Hadar Goldin, an army officer killed in an ambush during the 2014 Israel-Hamas war, after the International Committee of the Red Cross handed over his body.
The senior Turkish official confirmed that Turkey “successfully facilitated the return of Hadar Goldin’s remains to Israel after eleven years,” following “intensive diplomatic efforts reflecting Hamas’s clear commitment to the ceasefire.” He added: “At the same time, we are working to secure a safe passage for about 200 civilians from Gaza currently trapped in the tunnels.”
Earlier this month, the Israeli army pumped concrete and introduced explosives into a tunnel in the southern city of Rafah, where dozens of Palestinian fighters were believed to be hiding, according to the Hebrew daily Maariv.
The newspaper reported a “public uproar” following news that the government was considering allowing the fighters to leave the so-called “yellow line” area under Israeli military control.
The Israeli daily Haaretz quoted an unnamed political source as saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “will not allow safe passage for 200 Hamas members” from Israeli-controlled areas into Palestinian territory.
According to the same source, Netanyahu’s decision came under pressure from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Turkey, one of the signatories to last month’s ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas — supported by U.S. President Donald Trump — maintains close ties with the Palestinian movement and has strongly criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Israel, however, has rejected the idea of Turkish troops participating in an international peacekeeping force in Gaza, amid ongoing tensions between the two countries.
Ankara recently announced that it had issued arrest warrants for genocide against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several senior officials in connection with the Gaza war.
According to a statement from the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office, Turkish courts have issued 37 arrest warrants for Israeli officials accused of “genocide and crimes against humanity,” without publishing the full list of names.
Israel, with U.S. support, waged a bloody war in the Gaza Strip that lasted two years beginning on October 8, 2023, leaving over 68,000 dead, more than 170,000 wounded, and destroying about 90% of the territory’s infrastructure, with estimated losses reaching $70 billion.
The war ended with a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which came into effect on October 10. However, Israel has violated the truce dozens of times, resulting in hundreds of additional Palestinian deaths and injuries.
