Parents of hostages captured by Palestinian resistance group Hamas, after a new round of the Palestine-Israel conflict broke out on Oct. 7, sought the assistance of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish media outlets reported.
Broadcaster CNN Türk was the first to publish the letter dated Nov. 3. The letter is signed by Meirav Lesham Gonen and Malki Shem-Tov, mother of 23-year-old Romi and father of 21-year-old Omer, respectively.
“We, the family members of the abducted Israelis who are being held hostage by Hamas since October 7, are writing to ask for your humanitarian intervention in this crisis,” the letter says. “As the leader of one of the region’s great powers, with vast influence in the Middle East, in the Muslim world and beyond, we believe that you are in a unique position to be of immeasurable assistance,” they addressed Erdoğan. The parents appealed to Erdoğan, “on the deepest humanitarian level to do all in your power to obtain a sign of life from the hostages, to facilitate all their medical needs without delay and to bring about their immediate release.”
Erdoğan said earlier this month before a summit of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that if Türkiye intervenes to solve the hostage crisis, Israel should swiftly release Palestinians, and on the other hand, Hamas should release Israelis as well. Hamas has expressed a willingness to release civilians, Erdoğan said on Nov. 10.
There are also high-ranking officers among hostages held by Hamas, said Erdoğan, adding that Israel made minors prisoners: "If positive steps are taken, we are willing to take any risk and contribute to the resolution of this issue. In the last month, Israel has arrested nearly 2,000 people in the West Bank. Before that, there were around 10,000 people thrown into prisons, including women and children. Hamas primarily demands the release of Palestinians arrested by Israel in the West Bank and Gaza, especially women and children."
