ISTANBUL

The Turkish Red Crescent’s 18th “Goodness Ship” carrying roughly 800 tons of humanitarian aid arrived at Egypt’s al-Arish port Friday en route to the Gaza Strip.

The vessel, which departed Wednesday from Mersin, a port city on Türkiye’s southern Mediterranean coast, is carrying winter blankets, staple foods, and other essential relief supplies.

Representatives from the Turkish Red Crescent and Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) welcomed the shipment at the port.

Turkish Red Crescent President Fatma Meric Yilmaz, speaking at the ceremony sending off the ship, said aid deliveries to Gaza have continued despite periods when access was blocked.

“There were times when no aid could enter Gaza,” Yilmaz said. “Today, with a ceasefire in place — and hopefully lasting peace — we have new ways to deliver help. The Goodness Ships program has been relaunched to reach people who previously could not be assisted.”

Yilmaz added that the aid organization continues to provide daily hot meals to 35,000 people in Gaza and supports hospitals and the health operations of the Palestinian Red Crescent.

A ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has been in place since Oct. 10, but Israel continues to violate it daily, causing hundreds of Palestinian casualties. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 69,000 people, mostly women and children, injured over 170,000 others, and left the enclave uninhabitable.