Haniyeh-Erdogan meeting aims to hold 'Israel' accountable, Hamas says
4 Min Read
Hamas media advisor Taher el-Nounou underlines that Haniyeh's meeting with Erdogan was aimed at holding "Israel" accountable over its aggression on Gaza.
-
Hamas media advisor Taher el-Nounou during an interview for Al Mayadeen, April 21, 2024 (Screengrab)
Taher el-Nounou, the media advisor to the head of Hamas Politburo, shed light on the significance of Chief Ismail Haniyeh's visit to Turkey amid what he described as a "highly pivotal moment" during an interview for Al Mayadeen on Sunday.
El-Nounou emphasized that the discussions with Turkish leadership primarily revolved around holding the Israeli occupation accountable for its crimes committed against the Palestinian people.
He also underlined that Hamas has no intention of supplanting Qatari and Egyptian mediation efforts with Turkish mediation. He stressed that Haniyeh's visit to Turkey was unrelated to this matter.
Addressing the ongoing ceasefire talks, el-Nounou underscored that the Israeli occupation's refusal to agree to a comprehensive ceasefire and the issue of displaced Palestinians remain significant obstacles to reaching an agreement.
According to the senior media advisor, the Israeli government's reluctance to engage in serious ceasefire negotiations indicates a lack of commitment to putting an end to the war on Gaza.
He asserted that the recent war inflicted heavy losses on Gaza's infrastructure and civilian population, with the Israeli occupation failing to achieve its purported goals.
Moreover, el-Nounou highlighted how the war established new rules of engagement in the region and signaled an end to the era where the Israeli occupation could act with impunity.
Haniyeh-Erdogan meeting
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Haniyeh and his accompanying delegation at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul on Saturday.
The meeting, which lasted for more than two and a half hours, was also attended by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin.
Erdogan and Haniyeh discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and deliver aid to the besieged territory, Reuters reported.
Anadolu Agency reported that Erdogan assured Haniyeh that Turkey "will continue its diplomatic efforts to draw the attention of the international community to the injustice faced by the Palestinians."
Erdogan added that Turkey would continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestine in order to "alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza as much as possible."
During the meeting, the Turkish president also pointed out that Ankara "has implemented a series of sanctions against Israel, including trade restrictions, since April 9th," the agency reported.
Erdogan stressed the utmost importance of Palestinian unity in action during this phase, assuring Haniyeh that "unity and integrity are required for the strongest response to the Israeli occupation and the path to victory."
"Israel will inevitably pay the price one day for the injustice it practices against the Palestinians," Erdogan underlined.
Iranian attack rocks 'Israel'
Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force announced Sunday that it targeted Israeli positions in occupied Palestine with dozens of drones and missiles, as part of the retaliatory response to the malicious Israeli crime against the Iranian embassy in Syria.
The force said that the operation came "in response to the numerous evil crimes of the Zionist regime," including the attack on the embassy. It said that its forces, supported by other units of the Iranian Armed Forces, launched the "wide-ranging" military operation.
The statement added that the operation was conducted with the approval of the Supreme National Security Council and under the supervision of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, with the support of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the backing of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces.
