Ankara has denied reports that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan pressured Hamas officials to make concessions in ceasefire talks with Israel following a request from the United States, Middle East Eye reported on Monday.
“The claim published by an Israeli newspaper does not reflect the truth,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli told Middle East Eye in a statement.
According to Middle East Eye, Fidan met with Hamas Shura Council Chairman Muhammad Ismail Darwish and other senior Hamas officials in Doha on Sunday to discuss efforts to reach a long-term ceasefire and to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, based on a readout from the Turkish government.
On Monday Haaretz reported, citing Palestinian officials affiliated with Hamas, that Turkey had pressured the group after a request from the United States.
However, Middle East Eye said insiders in Ankara indicated that Turkey has been working to broker a deal to present to Washington and, if possible, directly to US President Donald Trump, rather than pressuring Hamas leadership.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack in which about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 hostages taken.
According to the health ministry in Gaza, the Israeli military has killed at least 52,000 Palestinians and wounded 117,600 people since October 7, 2023. Many analysts and rights groups believe the real number killed is far higher.
A report released by Amnesty International on December 5 concludes that Israel’s actions in Gaza qualify as genocide.
In November the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel must also answer to the International Court of Justice for genocide due to its war on Gaza.