Ankara, October 4, 2025 – The Europe Today: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called on Israel to immediately halt attacks and comply with US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire proposal for the Gaza Strip.
Erdogan described Hamas’ response to the plan as “a constructive and significant step towards the achievement of lasting peace,” posting his statement on the US social media platform X.
“As Türkiye, we will continue to use all available means to ensure that negotiations achieve the most beneficial outcome for the Palestinian people and that the internationally supported two‑state solution is implemented,” Erdogan said.
He emphasized that necessary measures must be taken without delay to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza and to secure lasting peace. “This genocide, this disgraceful picture that has deeply wounded the global conscience, must now come to an end,” he added.
Earlier, Hamas formally responded to Trump’s plan, approving the release of all Israeli captives, the return of deceased bodies, and the transfer of Gaza’s administration to an independent technocratic Palestinian body. Trump had given Hamas a deadline of 6 pm Washington time (2200 GMT) on Sunday to accept the plan.
The US-proposed plan seeks to turn Gaza into a weapons-free zone under a transitional governance mechanism directly overseen by Trump through a new international body tasked with monitoring its implementation. It calls for the release of all Israeli captives held by Hamas within 72 hours of approval in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
The plan also mandates a halt to hostilities, disarmament of all armed groups in Gaza, and Israel’s gradual withdrawal from the war-torn enclave, which would be governed by a technocratic authority under international supervision.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years. The siege intensified in March when border crossings were closed and deliveries of food and medicine were blocked, worsening humanitarian conditions.
Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed nearly 66,300 Palestinians, predominantly women and children. The United Nations and human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that Gaza is facing uninhabitable conditions, with widespread displacement, starvation, and disease rapidly spreading throughout the territory.
