ISTANBUL — The Turkish government is working to secure the safe evacuation of approximately 200 civilians reportedly trapped inside tunnel networks in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip, a senior Turkish official said late Sunday.
The effort follows Turkey’s successful facilitation of the return of the remains of Israeli officer Hadar Goldin, who was killed during an ambush in Gaza in 2014, after 11 years.
The civilians are believed to be located in underground tunnel structures beneath Rafah, a region partially under Israeli control, where fighters from the militant group Hamas remain holed up and have declared they will not surrender.
Turkey, which signed the cease‑fire agreement between Israel and Hamas last month that was backed by the Donald Trump administration, says it is leveraging its diplomatic ties with Hamas and Israel to enable the safe exit of non‑combatants.
Hamas issued a statement urging mediators to intervene, warning that the ongoing crisis could jeopardise the month‑old cease‑fire.
Meanwhile, Israel acknowledged the handover of Goldin’s remains via the Red Cross, marking a rare moment of cooperation amid intense hostilities.
With the humanitarian situation growing more urgent, Turkey’s push for a safe passage corridor is being viewed as a critical test of the cease‑fire mechanism and the capacity of mediators to protect civilians amid the conflict.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
