Hamas thanked Türkiye for playing the role of facilitator for a cease-fire in Gaza as the conflict rages on, diplomatic sources said on Monday.
According to a written statement, Hamas stressed that they were ready to make efforts to reach a final agreement and thanked Türkiye for its mediation role.
Diplomatic sources cited by TRT also emphasized that the cease-fire efforts and the release of U.S. citizen Edan Alexander were some of the most important agenda items during Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s contacts with Hamas in Istanbul, Ankara and Doha in recent weeks.
NATO member Türkiye has been a traditional ally to Palestine, but the more brutal Israeli attacks became, the harsher Ankara has made its criticism. It has condemned what it calls genocide, halted all trade with Israel and applied to join a genocide case against Israel at the World Court, which Israel rejects.
In addition to delivering humanitarian aid, the Turkish government has sought to rally international organizations, including the United Nations, NATO, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to both restrain Israel and encourage cooperation between Palestinian factions, most notably between Hamas and the Fatah movement.