Turkish Foreign Minister Meets Hamas Leaders in Istanbul

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Hamas officials in Istanbul to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and humanitarian needs, according to Turkish diplomatic sources. Since the ceasefire began on October 10, Hamas has released 20 Israeli captives and returned 19 remains of the 28 expected, despite one body not matching Israel’s records. Israel has reported over 68,500 Palestinian casualties since October 2023, linking continued ceasefire discussions to the return of all hostage remains. The first phase of negotiations involves the exchange of Israeli hostages for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and plans for Gaza’s reconstruction without Hamas.

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