Turkey’s Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced the country’s readiness to extend healthcare support to the Gaza Strip, which may include the deployment of a floating hospital to the region.

Koca said on social media platform X that Turkey is negotiating with WHO about cooperation in providing health services to Gaza, and is ready to send a floating hospital or establish a field hospital in the Palestinian enclave.

Turkey’s Commitment to Gaza: Providing Post-Hospital Blast Health Support

Koca stressed his country would not remain an onlooker to the conflict, and it will make efforts to support civilians of Gaza with health services after the hospital blast. At least 471 Palestinians were killed in a blast on the Al-Ahli Arabi Baptist Hospital in the Gaza Strip, and more than 314 others were wounded, said the Gaza-based Health Ministry on Wednesday.

On October 7, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) launched a surprise attack by firing thousands of rockets on Israeli military targets and towns adjacent to the Gaza Strip, prompting extensive Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. The ongoing conflict has killed more than 4,000 people on both sides and wounded even more.