Turkish top diplomat meets Hamas leader Haniyeh to discuss Gaza ceasefire

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Hamas’ political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

Fidan and Haniyeh discussed on Saturday the immediate establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza, increasing humanitarian aid, the release of hostages and a two-state solution for lasting peace.

The Israeli offensive has left 85 percent of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Last October following the Israel launch of intensive attacks on the tiny enclave, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the Gaza situation with Haniyeh and assured that Ankara would work to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Gaza and that the wounded there can be brought to Türkiye for treatment if necessary.

President Erdogan stressed that a permanent solution could not be achieved without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital, the statement noted.

Erdogan further emphasised that Türkiye would continue to fight internationally for lasting peace.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, which Tel Aviv said killed 1,200 people.

At least 24,927 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 62,388 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.