Turkish foreign minister meets with head of Hamas Shura council, other members

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday met Hamas Shura Council Chairman Muhammad Darwish Ismail and other members of the group's political bureau in the Qatari capital Doha.

The meeting addressed issues related to the ceasefire and humanitarian situation in Gaza, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on X.

On Jan. 29, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also met Darwish at the presidential complex in the capital Ankara.

Erdogan had expressed hope for successful completion of the second and third phases of the truce, which will ultimately lead to a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and begin rebuilding.

Fidan started his two-day visit to Doha on Sunday. He met his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and addressed a joint news conference earlier in the day.

The ongoing six-week truce is the first part of a three-stage deal that could permanently end Israel’s war in Gaza. The 15-month war has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians and left Gaza in ruins.