Israel does not want Erdogan as mediator – Rumors of Hamas ‘moving’ to Turkey

High members of its leadership, who have left Gaza, are already in, for a few days, broadcast yesterday, Sunday (17.11. 24) the Israeli state broadcasting network KAN. The news that senior members of Hamas’ leadership abroad left Qatar last week for Turkey also made known an Arab diplomat in the Times of Israel, after Doha said she is leaving efforts to mediate the end of the Gaza war. The Arab diplomat, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, downplayed the importance of this move, stressing that Hamas’ leadership is already spending much of its time in Turkey when they do not hold meetings in Qatar. On November 8, the U.S. revealed that they asked Qatar to expel Hamas officials from Doha, which has been hosting an agency of the organization since 2012. The US stated that they submitted the request after Hamas rejected repeated proposals for hostage deal and executed six prisoners, including an American citizen. The next day, Qatar said that he interrupted his mediation efforts, with a diplomat who knows the issue of stating to the Times of Israel that Doha asked Hamas leaders in late October to leave the country, but not referring to a specific timetable. Turkey cannot mediate agreement Turkey cannot become a mediator for a hostage deal in Gaza, Israeli sources told The Jerusalem Post after KAN News reported that some Hamas leaders had left Qatar for Turkey. “I am not aware of any Turkish involvement and I don’t think there could be,” said a source in The Jerusalem Post. Qatar, along with Egypt, were the main mediators for an agreement to ensure the release of the remaining 101 hostages, along with the help of the United States. The talks have largely “frozen” since Hamas executed six of the hostages in late August, including Israeli-American prisoner Hersh Goldberg- Pauline. Donald Trump’s re-election to the US presidency on November 5 has made it harder for Biden officials to have the necessary influence to reach an agreement, since the outgoing president is due to leave the White House on January 20. Last month the hope that the negotiations could be repeated after the assassination of Hamas’ leader in Gaza Yahia Sinwar was renewed. Hamas rejected all offers by American officials last week that Hamas rejected all bids, including a mini-agreement designed as a confidence-building measure towards a larger deal. Israeli Defence Minister Kats held consultations on the hostages, with IDF chief Erzi Khalevi, the leader of Mossad, Shin Bet’s chief and Israeli army and Ministry of Defence officials. Hamas official Bassem Naim told Sky News on the weekend that “we are ready to release all these captive Israelis”, if they made an exchange with Hamas prisoners in Israeli prisons. The last mediation for an agreement took place in July, but since then there has been “no serious proposal,” Naim said. “Turkey talks openly with Hamas leaders” Turkey says Israeli media, has expressed sympathy for Hamas throughout the war. At the beginning of August, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a day of mourning after the assassination of Hamas political office leader Ismail Haniya. The Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv waved its flag brokerage to honour the occasion. Earlier, in March, Erdogan said Ankara “strongly supports” Hamas, Saudi media Arab News said. “No one can make us describe Hamas as a terrorist organisation,” he reportedly said during a speech in Istanbul. “Turkey is a country that speaks openly with Hamas leaders and strongly supports them” In statements to the Cumhuriyet newspaper CHP Vice President Ilhan Uzgel said “if Hamas leaders leave Qatar, the first thing that comes to mind is Turkey. Why? We have become an integral part of the Middle East policy. This did not benefit the people in the region, but did much harm to Turkey.” “Turkish Block” to Israel’s President Hamas headquarters seem to be moving to Turkey, Turkish newspaper headlines also say. It is noted that yesterday, Turkey denied Israel’s request that President Isaac Herchog’s aircraft use Turkey’s airspace for the Israeli president’s flight to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to participate in the COP29 climate summit. Turkey’s state news agency “Anadolu”, said officials confirmed that Israeli authorities submitted a request to cross Herchog’s aircraft the Turkish airspace on a flight to the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference. The Turkish authorities however rejected his request, he said the same instrument. On Saturday (16.11.24), the Israeli president’s office announced that Isaac Herchog canceled for “security reasons” his planned trip to Baku to participate in COP29.