Turkey 'to help locate dead Israeli captives and implement Gaza ceasefire'

Turkey will be part of a joint task force alongside Israel, the United States, Qatar and Egypt to locate the bodies of dead Israeli captives in Gaza whose locations are unknown, a senior Turkish official told Reuters.

Turkish officials were part of negotiations in Egypt that resulted in a ceasefire being agreed between Israel and Hamas, which included a prisoner exchange deal.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said on Thursday that Turkey would take part in international efforts to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza. 

"God willing, we as Turkey will take part in the mission force that will monitor the agreement's implementation in the field," he said in a speech, adding that Ankara will contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza.

An Israeli government spokesperson told Reuters that the ceasefire would take effect within 24 hours of an Israeli cabinet meeting set to take place on Thursday.

In the 72 hours after it comes into effect, the prisoner and captive exchange will take place. 

While the finer details of the deal are not yet public, media reports suggest that the first phase will include a prisoner exchange, the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and a withdrawal of Israeli troops from some areas of the enclave. 

The prisoner exchange will involve all of the estimated 20 living Israeli captives being released at once, with no formal ceremony, unlike those seen in Gaza during the last swap earlier this year. 

The bodies of dead Israeli captives will be released gradually, once their remains are collected. 

Food trucks to arrive 'immediately'

In exchange, around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners will be freed. While the final list has yet to be approved, it is expected to include 250 people serving life sentences, alongside more than 1,700 detainees from the Gaza Strip.

Prominent Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti will not be released as part of the deal, the Israeli government spokesperson said. 

Marwan Barghouti will not be released in Gaza deal, says Israeli spokesperson

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Barghouti, who is the most popular Palestinian political figure according to polls, was one of the most valuable names potentially to be traded for the 48 Israeli captives in Gaza.

The government spokesperson said that after the captives are released, Israel’s military would control 53 percent of the Gaza Strip.

They added that the ceasefire plan was finalised and signed in Egypt on Thursday morning.

At least 400 aid trucks are expected to enter Gaza immediately after the agreement is signed, with that number likely to increase in the coming days. The Rafah border crossing with Egypt is also expected to reopen. 

Other terms of the US President Donald Trump’s "peace plan" will be discussed at a later stage. 

These include the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the reconstruction of the Palestinian enclave, the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of international forces in the territory, and additional provisions.

Last week, Trump unveiled the 20-point plan for ending the devastating two-year war, which analysts have criticised as vague, “colonial” and lacking in consequences for Israel if it breaches the terms.