Turkish intel chief, Hamas officials agree on continued ceasefire efforts

Ibrahim Kalin, head of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT), had a phone call with Hamas Political Bureau officials, security sources have said.

The discussions addressed progress in the ongoing negotiations with Israel, and the two sides agreed to continue the efforts for a ceasefire. US officials have suggested a deal may be near.

Türkiye is a major international supporter of the Palestinian cause and efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Prisoner swap and ceasefire talks, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, have been interrupted several times due to new conditions imposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Israeli opposition and families of captives accuse Netanyahu of obstructing efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed nearly 46,600 people, most of them women and children, since October 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the Palestinian enclave.