A group of 87 individuals, evacuated from Gaza via the Rafah Border Gate and coordinated by Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and AFAD, arrived in Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight from Cairo late at night. Upon arrival at the airport’s VIP terminal, including women, elderly, and children, they underwent identity and passport checks before being escorted to accommodations by AFAD officials.

Ahmet Şaltur, 33, who left his family in Gaza to join his wife in Istanbul, highlighted the challenges faced by those left behind, citing severe shortages of essential resources like fuel, electricity, and water. He emphasized the security risks prompting people to flee. Şaltur expressed concerns about the widespread bombings that affected hospitals, schools, and churches, leaving no safe havens.

Sümeyra Yıldız, Ahmet Şaltur’s wife in Istanbul, welcomed the group at the airport, acknowledging their relief while emphasizing the ongoing struggle for complete freedom in Palestine.

Özgül Smery, part of the evacuated group now in Türkiye, described the exhaustion after spending three days at the border and on the journey. While grateful to be in her home country, she expressed a sense of bittersweetness for what she had to leave behind in Gaza.