Jerusalem (Somalia Today) — Israel allowed 66 Palestinians and Turkish citizens, including 16 relatives of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, to leave the Gaza Strip earlier this month, Middle East Eye reported Monday.
The move followed a request from Turkey and was part of a bilateral arrangement between the two nations, according to the London-based news outlet.
This reported exit comes despite severely strained relations between Israel and Turkey, which halted all bilateral trade in May over the war in Gaza. It also follows a reported Gaza ceasefire agreement reached in the first week of October, in which Middle East Eye said Turkey played a key mediating role.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately respond to a Somalia Today request for comment on the Middle East Eye report. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also did not immediately provide comment when contacted by Somalia Today.
Ties between the regional powers fractured after the Gaza war began. Turkey, a NATO member, halted all bilateral trade in May 2024, demanding uninterrupted aid to Gaza, according to Turkish officials.
The trade between the countries was worth $6.8 billion in 2023, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute. Turkey also formally joined South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
A surprising decision
The decision to allow Haniyeh’s family to leave is notable given recent Israeli actions against them. Haniyeh was Hamas’s political leader. He was assassinated in Tehran in July 2024 in an attack widely attributed to Israel.
The Israeli military confirmed an air strike in Gaza in April 2024. The strike killed three of Haniyeh’s sons and four of his grandchildren. The military described his sons as Hamas operatives.
Around the same time, Israeli police arrested Haniyeh’s sister, Sabah al-Salem Haniyeh, in the southern Israeli town of Tel Sheva on terror-related charges.
Middle East Eye, citing two separate sources, reported that the group of 66 included 14 Turkish citizens and 40 close relatives of Turkish citizens. Five of the 16 Haniyeh family members were reportedly relatives of Turkish citizens.
Turkey maintained longstanding contacts with Haniyeh, who before his death often travelled between Qatar, Turkey, and other regional capitals.
Turkey does not host an official Hamas office. But The Telegraph reported in 2020 that Ankara had granted citizenship to several Hamas leaders, including Haniyeh, Middle East Eye noted.
An opening for a reset?
The reported exit may signal an Israeli effort to ease tensions with Ankara. Sources familiar with Israeli government thinking believe the decision reflects a desire to respond positively to Turkish diplomatic requests, Middle East Eye reported.
Recent media reports in Israel, citing anonymous officials, have adopted a softer tone toward Turkish leadership.
The right-wing outlet Ynet praised Turkish intelligence (MIT) chief İbrahim Kalin, who has been involved in hostage negotiations. Ynet called him “empathetic” and said he was seeking “renewed ties,” according to Middle East Eye.
Israeli journalist Ben Caspit, writing in the Maariv newspaper, noted a potential shift in focus from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a vehement critic of Israel.
Caspit wrote that Erdogan’s “potential successor” is Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Fidan “is viewed in Israeli security circles as more pragmatic.” Fidan previously served as Turkey’s intelligence chief.
Calls for economic ties
On Sunday, a prominent Israeli business leader, Uriel Lynn, explicitly called for restoring relations. Lynn, president of the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce, argued that Turkey is “key to the day after in Gaza.”
“Turkey is not an enemy of Israel. We have had many years of fruitful trade, economic and tourism relations,” Lynn wrote in a Maariv article.
Lynn recounted a 2022 business delegation to Turkey where 65 Israeli companies received a “warm” reception. “Such treatment would be impossible in a hostile country,” he wrote.
He added that Israeli foreign policy should be “guided by prudence” rather than by ministers seeking “childish prominence.” Lynn also praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for maintaining restraint.
“One of the real tests of our new foreign policy will be restoring relations with Turkey,” Lynn concluded. “This is essential both for stabilising our regional geopolitical environment and for advancing our economic interests.”
Despite these calls, official diplomatic channels remain frozen. The trade ban implemented by Ankara in May continues to be in effect as of Monday.
