Secret diplomacy: Hamas and Turkey discuss hostage release and ceasefire

The head of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, met with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday in Turkey, according to diplomatic sources on Sunday, without specifying the location of the meeting.

The sources explained that the talks, conducted by Haniyeh, who resides in Qatar, addressed the "release of the hostages" held in the Gaza Strip since Hamas launched its attack on Israel on October 7.

The last talks between Haniyeh and Fidan date to October 16 and occurred during a phone call.

The sources stated that "during the meeting, issues such as the approval of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, increasing humanitarian aid, releasing the hostages, and the two-state solution for a lasting peace were discussed."

Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sought mediation, but his efforts have dissipated as he tightened his stance, accusing Israel of being a "terrorist state" and considering Hamas a group of "fighters for freedom," not a "terrorist" organization as classified by Israel, the United States, and the European Union.