Türkiye’s intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın on Saturday held talks in Istanbul with a delegation from the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, focusing on the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and efforts to move toward its second phase, diplomatic sources said.

The Hamas delegation was led by Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the group’s Political Bureau and head of its negotiation team. During the meeting, Hamas representatives stated that they are fully complying with the ceasefire terms and briefed Turkish officials on what they described as repeated Israeli violations of the agreement.

According to the sources, discussions centered on Türkiye’s role as a guarantor country and Ankara’s intensive diplomatic efforts to ensure that the ceasefire holds and to prevent further Israeli breaches. The two sides also exchanged views on the conditions required to transition to the second phase of the Gaza Peace Plan, as well as obstacles currently hindering progress.

The meeting included a detailed briefing on Türkiye’s humanitarian assistance to Gaza, with particular emphasis on efforts to facilitate the entry of emergency aid, especially tents and shelter materials, amid dire humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave.

Participants also discussed Türkiye’s ongoing coordination with regional countries and international organizations to increase the flow of aid into Gaza, where widespread destruction, displacement, and shortages of basic necessities continue to affect the civilian population.

Both delegations reaffirmed their commitment to Palestinian national reconciliation and reiterated their support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, stressing the importance of unity among Palestinian factions in the face of ongoing Israeli aggression.

The talks came amid heightened diplomatic activity involving Türkiye. Earlier, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attended Gaza-related consultations in Miami with officials from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, as part of broader efforts to sustain the ceasefire and advance a political solution.

Palestinians have accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement signed on October 10, which halted a devastating two-year war on Gaza. Since October 2023, the Israeli offensive has killed nearly 70,700 Palestinians, the vast majority of them women and children, and injured more than 171,000 others, according to Palestinian figures.

Despite the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that at least 395 Palestinians have been killed and 1,088 wounded in Israeli attacks since the agreement came into effect, underscoring the fragility of the truce and the urgent need for sustained international pressure to ensure its full implementation.

Türkiye has repeatedly called for strict adherence to the ceasefire, expanded humanitarian access, and a just and lasting political settlement that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people. (ILKHA)