Turkish officials say Hamas is ready to give up control of Gaza – report

Turkey is positioning itself to play a central role in postwar Gaza and hosted a high-level meeting this week in Istanbul focused on the future governance and reconstruction of Gaza.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Turkish officials told Al-Ain media in the United Arab Emirates that Hamas may be prepared to relinquish control of Gaza and submit to US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan.

Turkey is positioning itself to play a central role in postwar Gaza and hosted a high-level meeting this week in Istanbul focused on the future governance and reconstruction of Gaza.

Representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia attended the talks, which also addressed plans for an international stabilization force to be authorized by the United Nations Security Council.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters that discussions among Muslim countries are ongoing and that any troop deployment will depend on the final UN framework.

“Countries will decide on participation once a structure is agreed,” he said. Fidan added that Hamas had expressed willingness to transfer administrative authority to a Palestinian-led committee once reconstruction efforts begin.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking separately to delegates from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, praised what he described as Hamas’ commitment to the ceasefire and readiness to abide by the emerging arrangement.

The truce, which began October 13 following an agreement reached five days earlier, has held tenuously as Hamas handed over surviving hostages and the remains of 20 others.

Progress toward long-term stability, however, has been slow, with negotiations over the enclave’s governance and security structure still underway.

Turkey’s ambitions have drawn mixed reactions in Israel, where officials view Ankara’s involvement with caution due to its long history of supporting Hamas and its frequent criticism of Israeli policy.

Though Turkey remains a NATO member and a U.S. ally, its alignment with Qatar—another state seen as close to Hamas—has raised questions about its impartiality.

During the Istanbul conference, Fidan called for an immediate end to Israeli military operations and emphasized the importance of Palestinian unity. He urged the United Nations to define the scope of the planned stabilization mission and warned against any actions that could jeopardize future peace efforts.