The Foreign Office confirmed on October 4th, 2025, that 137 more participants from the Hamas-Somodic flotilla have been deported to Turkey today, following earlier deportations. These individuals, citizens of the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Algeria, Mauritania, Malaysia, Bahrain, Morocco, Switzerland, Tunisia, and Turkey, were described as having refused Israel's proposals for peaceful assistance delivery and were acting in "Hamas service" rather than providing humanitarian aid. According to the Foreign Office statement, Israel is working to expedite the expulsion of all flotilla participants, noting that some are deliberately delaying legal deportation processes. The statement also mentioned that several foreign governments have expressed reservations about receiving flights for these individuals, but all participants are to be deported as soon as possible. This development occurs as negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are scheduled to take place in Cairo tomorrow, October 5th. The spokesman for the flotilla, M.lelena Delia, stated on October 4th at 2:03 PM UTC that their legal team has filed a complaint with the Rome Prosecutor's Office for kidnapping, asserting "solid foundations to proceed." A second complaint has also been filed for an attack that occurred approximately a week ago in international waters. Earlier today, between 11:34 AM and 12:04 PM UTC, the IDF maintained current lines of occupation in Gaza City without further territorial gains, aligning with a directive to cease initiated attacks while allowing defensive actions to neutralize threats. This operational shift began earlier in the day, and warnings advising Gaza Strip residents against returning to northern Gaza Valley due to its designation as a dangerous fighting zone remain in effect, with Al-Rashid Street open for southward movement. Yesterday, Israeli Minister Darmer was scheduled to meet American officials Whitakoff and Kushner in Cairo for negotiations, according to previous reports. Hamas had indicated readiness for peace, as stated by Turkish President Erdogan, while Israel awaited Hamas's response in ongoing talks aimed at a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Israel's policy at that time was to allow for a fire reduction to facilitate hostage release, with no IDF retreat from the field, and strict monitoring to prevent last-minute attacks. The 72-hour period for hostage release was expected to commence once agreement details were finalized during negotiations that were estimated to last a few days.
