Turkey, Hamas discussed 2nd phase of Gaza ceasefire deal, Ankara source says

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with Hamas political bureau officials in Ankara today to discuss the ceasefire in Gaza and advancing the agreement to its second phase, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source says.

The source says the Hamas officials claimed to Fidan that they had fulfilled their requirements under the ceasefire deal, but that Israel’s continued strikes in Gaza aimed to prevent the agreement from moving to the next phase.

The members of the Palestinian terror group also said humanitarian aid entering Gaza was not sufficient, and that goods like medication, equipment for housing, and fuel were needed, the source adds.

Today, COGAT said that 4,200 aid trucks enter Gaza weekly and that “food shipments are coordinated according to the priorities set by [humanitarian aid agencies].”

Both sides accuse the other of violating the terms of the first phase: Hamas has yet to return the body of one hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, while Israel has refused to open the Rafah Crossing between Egypt and Gaza in both directions, agreeing only to allow movement out of the Strip.

Since the start of the ceasefire in October, the IDF has said it has killed dozens of terror operatives and other “suspects” who have crossed the Yellow Line — demarcating the part of the Strip it still holds — and approached troops. Such incidents have taken place on a near-daily basis. Three troops have been killed in attacks since the ceasefire went into effect.