Turkey has mobilized a significant contingent of search and rescue (SAR) personnel, poised for deployment to the Gaza Strip. The move comes as Ankara continues to play a key facilitating role in the delicate, US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The readiness of these specialized teams underscores Turkey's commitment to the humanitarian and logistical challenges emerging from the conflict, though their final dispatch remains contingent on international coordination and internal government approval.
Dozens of Turkish SAR crews are on standby, ready to assist in efforts within the Palestinian enclave, according to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Al-Monitor. The report highlights that the deployment is awaiting both coordination with other nations involved in the peace process and a final decision from authorities in Ankara. This dual requirement suggests the complexity of navigating the political and security landscape necessary for Turkish personnel to operate effectively and safely in the region. Earlier reports from Turkish media, including the private Ihlas News Agency, indicated that the country’s disaster management agency, AFAD, had prepared an 81-member team. Notably, these crews are equipped with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) defense capabilities, which could be crucial for handling unexploded ordnance and other hazards in the heavily damaged territory.
Turkey, alongside Qatar and Egypt, has assumed a central role in implementing the ceasefire deal, which was brokered by US President Donald Trump. A primary component of this agreement was the return of all hostages—both living and deceased—held by Hamas to Israel. While the group had previously returned all 20 living hostages, the process for the deceased has been slower and more fraught. Hamas has so far handed over the bodies of seven deceased hostages, though 21 bodies are still believed to remain in Gaza. The return of one body was complicated when Israeli forensic experts later determined it belonged to a Palestinian, not an Israeli hostage.
The logistical challenges of the ceasefire implementation are compounded by the dire humanitarian situation. Aid trucks were reported to have entered Gaza on Wednesday following Israel's decision to reopen the Rafah crossing, as reported by Reuters. This action temporarily eased a brief shutdown that had been linked to a dispute over the return of the deceased hostages. An Israeli official confirmed that preparations were underway to allow Gazans to cross, with approximately 600 aid trucks expected to enter. The United Nations has documented a catastrophic toll on the civilian population, with more than 430 malnutrition-related deaths recorded in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023.
Despite the readiness of the Turkish teams, a key ambiguity remains: whether Israel has granted permission for the crews to enter the Palestinian enclave. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan previously stated that a task force had been established to facilitate the deal's implementation on the ground, but that it had not yet been assigned a formal role. The ongoing coordination and internal approval processes in Ankara, as confirmed by a Turkish official, are the determining factors for the timing of the final decision. The deployment of the Turkish SAR teams, with their specialized capabilities, represents a potential expansion of international support for the recovery and humanitarian efforts in Gaza, provided the necessary diplomatic and security clearances are secured.
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