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Türkiye’s intelligence director Ibrahim Kalın hosted Palestinian group Hamas’ political bureau negotiating team chief Khalil al-Hayya and an accompanying delegation in Istanbul on Wednesday, Turkish security sources said.
The meeting focused on steps to overcome the problems in the Gaza cease-fire and the path to be followed in implementing the next phases of the cease-fire plan, sources said.
The first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza cease-fire deal went into effect on Oct. 10. Phase one includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Since then, the Israel has violated the agreement at least 194 times by claiming Hamas members crossed the cease-fire zone “yellow line” and attacked Israeli soldiers, according to Gaza’s government media office.
The media office has also said that from Oct. 10 to the end of the month, only 3,203 trucks entered Gaza out of the 13,200 that were supposed to enter under the deal, a 24% compliance rate.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has blasted Israel for “seeking excuses” to violate the deal and “resume its massacres.”
“Everyone knows Israel’s terrible record when it comes to keeping its promises,” Erdoğan said on Friday. He stressed that the continuation of the cease-fire, delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the transition to Gaza’s reconstruction phase will only be possible “if Israel is compelled on all these matters.”
Hamas has released 20 Israeli captives alive and handed over the remains of 21 out of 28, most of them Israelis, since Oct. 10. Israel, however, claimed that one of the received bodies did not match any of its listed captives.
Israel has tied the start of negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire to the handover of all the hostage remains. Hamas says the process requires time due to the massive destruction in Gaza.
The cease-fire plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.
Since October 2023, Israel’s genocidal war has killed over 68,200 people and injured more than 170,300, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
