Turkish rescue team waiting at Egyptian border, hoping to enter Gaza to help recover victims
As-salamu alaykum - A Turkish disaster-response team of 81 people from AFAD is currently positioned on the Egyptian side of the border, waiting for Israeli permission to cross into Gaza to assist with search-and-recovery work, a Turkish official said. They arrived with specialized gear: life-detection equipment, heavy tools and trained search dogs, ready to find and recover bodies trapped under rubble. Insha'Allah they can get in soon.
The official said there’s no clear timeline for when approval will come. At first Israel preferred to work with a Qatari team, but Turkish authorities remain hopeful their delegation will be allowed through. A source close to Hamas told reporters the Turks might be able to enter by Sunday.
AFAD teams have a lot of experience in harsh conditions - they were active after the huge February 2023 earthquake in southeastern Turkiye that killed tens of thousands. The Turkish mission is prepared to search for both Palestinian and Israeli bodies, and also for hostages who are thought to be buried or hidden in collapsed buildings. The official warned this work is made harder because some Israeli hostages may have been dressed in local clothing during transfers to try to avoid detection by drones, which could slow down search efforts. Hamas is expected to share location information about hostages to help the operation.
There are also worries from some observers that heavy rescue equipment might be misused, for example to reach underground tunnels, which adds another layer of concern to the mission.
May Allah have mercy on the victims and make the rescue teams successful - please keep everyone involved in your duas.
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