Reports That Hamas Office Moved to Türkiye Not True, Turkish Source Says

 16 November 2024, Türkiye, Istanbul: A woman holds a Palestinian flag during during a march towards Imbarli Port, which is used by companies to transport military ammunition to Israel. (dpa)
16 November 2024, Türkiye, Istanbul: A woman holds a Palestinian flag during during a march towards Imbarli Port, which is used by companies to transport military ammunition to Israel. (dpa)
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Reports That Hamas Office Moved to Türkiye Not True, Turkish Source Says

 16 November 2024, Türkiye, Istanbul: A woman holds a Palestinian flag during during a march towards Imbarli Port, which is used by companies to transport military ammunition to Israel. (dpa)
16 November 2024, Türkiye, Istanbul: A woman holds a Palestinian flag during during a march towards Imbarli Port, which is used by companies to transport military ammunition to Israel. (dpa)

Reports that Palestinian armed group Hamas' office has moved to Türkiye do not reflect the truth, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Monday, adding members of the group visited the country from time to time.

Doha said last week it had told Hamas and Israel it will stall efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until they show willingness and seriousness.

It also said that media reports it had told Hamas to leave the country were no accurate.

Türkiye has fiercely criticized Israel over its offensives in Gaza and in Lebanon and does not deem Hamas a terrorist organization. Some Hamas political officials regularly visit Türkiye.



Large Gaza Food Convoy Violently Looted, UNRWA Says

A truck carries humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
A truck carries humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
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Large Gaza Food Convoy Violently Looted, UNRWA Says

A truck carries humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
A truck carries humanitarian aid destined for the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo

A convoy of 109 trucks was violently looted on Nov. 16 after entering Gaza, resulting in the loss of 98 trucks in what aid workers say is one of the worst such incidents in the more than 13-month-old war, an UNRWA aid official told Reuters on Monday.

The convoy carrying food provided by UN agencies UNRWA and the World Food Program was instructed by Israel to depart at short notice via an unfamiliar route from Kerem Shalom crossing, Louise Wateridge, UNRWA Senior Emergency Officer told Reuters.

"This incident highlights the severity of access challenges of bringing aid into southern and central Gaza," she said, adding that injuries occurred in the incident.

"⁠The urgency of the crisis cannot be overstated; without immediate intervention, severe food shortages are set to worsen, further endangering the lives of over two million people who depend on humanitarian aid to survive," she said.

WFP and COGAT, the Israeli military agency that deals with Palestinian civilian affairs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The agency says it does all it can to ensure that enough aid enters the coastal enclave, and that Israel does not prevent the entry of humanitarian aid.

A UN aid official said on Friday that Gaza aid access had reached a low point, with deliveries to parts of the besieged north of the enclave all but impossible.