The media advisor to the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Taher al-Nounou, confirmed that there is no connection between the Qatari and Egyptian mediation and the visit of the head of Hamas's political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, to Turkey. Al-Nounou stated that "Haniyeh's visit to Turkey comes at a very critical time, and the issue of holding the occupation accountable for its crimes was among the topics discussed with the Turkish leadership." He emphasized that the movement does not seek to "replace the appreciated Qatari and Egyptian mediation with Turkish mediation, and the visit is not related to this matter."
He added, "The occupation still refuses the issue of a complete ceasefire and the return of displaced persons, which does not lead to an agreement," indicating that "those influential in the occupation government are not serious about reaching an agreement to end the war on Gaza." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met yesterday in Istanbul with Ismail Haniyeh and his accompanying delegation, where they discussed several issues, chief among them a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of prisoners, and the entry of humanitarian aid, as well as the catastrophic conditions in the sector and the latest developments in the region.
For its part, Israeli broadcasting authority reported that senior Israeli officials stated: "No other country is capable of reaching a deal except Qatar."
