A team of experts sent by Turkey will leave for Gaza with the aim of recovering the bodies of the dead Israeli hostages, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) said. The group, comprising 81 specialists, will operate within the timeframe set by Israel, which has given Hamas an ultimatum to hand over all the bodies.
Following the signing of the peace agreements at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ankara has stepped up its humanitarian aid to Gaza. In addition to basic supplies, the Turkish government plans to send teams specialising in search and rescue and in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats, Turkish daily Hürriyet reports.
As part of these efforts, an AFAD contingent of 81 people from eight Turkish provinces will work through the rubble to locate the dead Israeli hostages, which Israel is demanding Hamas hand over to continue Trump’s 20-point peace plan. Teams from Qatar and Egypt have also begun similar efforts in Gaza, where the bodies of 19 hostages are believed to be buried under rubble.
Turkey has sent more than 100,000 tonnes of aid to Gaza
Since 7 October 2023, Turkey has sent more than 101,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza via 16 ships and 14 planes; in addition, 333 truckloads of supplies have been sent since July 2025, and the delivery of aid accelerated following the announcement of the ceasefire on 8 October 2025. Just three days ago, another ship with 865 tonnes of aid for Gaza left Turkey for Egypt.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Red Crescent continues to distribute food to thousands of civilians surviving in the most devastated areas of the Strip. Through local staff, the Turkish organization provides daily hot meals to 21,000 people and supplies Al-Amal and Al-Mawasi hospitals. Following the ceasefire, the organisation also sent 465 tonnes of canned meat on the last ship with humanitarian aid sent by AFAD.
In addition to sending specialists to try to locate the bodies of Israeli hostages killed in the Strip, Turkey is preparing to send troops to Gaza as part of the US-led international peacekeeping force. As part of this mission, Turkish soldiers will be deployed in the area to ensure security and respect for the ceasefire agreed between Hamas and Israel.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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