Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met on Saturday with a Hamas delegation led by the head of the movement's Political Bureau, Khalil al-Hayya, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced on X.

Last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkiye will intensify its diplomatic efforts to reinstate the ceasefire in Gaza and stop the killings of innocent people. 

"Turkiye stands by the people of Gaza and our Palestinian brothers... We will continue to increase our diplomatic efforts to stop the massacres and to restore peace and a ceasefire," the Turkish president said while breaking fast with students at the National Defense University. 

What was discussed?

Hamas, in a statement, noted that the meeting addressed the Israeli occupation forces' violations of the ceasefire agreement, the ongoing genocidal crimes in Gaza, and the renewed attacks. Discussions also included the occupation army’s destruction of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only cancer treatment facility in Gaza.

The parties further assessed the latest developments in the ongoing negotiations based on the mediators' proposals and the plan presented by US envoy Steve Witkoff.

The Hamas delegation also stressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's violation of the ceasefire agreement by obstructing the second-phase negotiations, enforcing starvation policies against Gaza's civilian population, and blocking necessary aid and food entries into the territory.

Hamas emphasized the need to pressure the occupying forces to implement the ceasefire agreement, reaffirming the Resistance’s commitment to the deal and its flexibility in achieving a comprehensive ceasefire, a prisoner exchange, and the withdrawal of occupation forces from the Gaza Strip.

According to the statement, Fidan reiterated Turkiye’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people and its rejection of the Israeli aggression, underscoring the importance of pushing "Israel" to implement the next phase of the ceasefire agreement, ensuring the continuous flow of humanitarian aid, and urgently starting the reconstruction of what was destroyed by the aggression.

'Israel' threatens Gaza with annihilation 

On March 18, "Israel" renewed its aggression on the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including women and children. 

Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz then threatened the Palestinians in Gaza with the complete destruction of the besieged enclave and signaled the imminent resumption of the forced displacement of its people.

“For Gazans, this is the latest warning ... The air force attacks on Hamas were only the first step. What comes next will be much harder, and you will have to pay the price in full. The evacuation of the population from the war zones will soon begin again. If all kidnapped Israelis are not released and Hamas is not forced out of the Gaza Strip, Israel will act with a force you have never seen before,” Katz said in a direct address to the people of Gaza.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu, said negotiations for a ceasefire will only be conducted "under fire". 

Read more: Germany, France, UK demand Gaza truce as 'Israel' escalates aggression