Turkish intelligence discusses a truce in Gaza with Hamas

Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met with Hamas leaders on Sunday to discuss the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and efforts to reach a ceasefire in the war with Israel, according to Turkey's Anadolu Agency.

The agency reported, citing security sources, that Kalin held talks with a Hamas delegation headed by the head of the movement's leadership council, Mohammed Darwish, at an undisclosed location.

She added that the meeting discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza, as well as Türkiye's efforts to end the war and "ensure immediate access for aid" to the devastated enclave, whose residents are suffering from hunger after more than 20 months of war.

Kalin also discussed with Hamas leaders "the need to reach consensus among Palestinian factions at this critical stage... and the measures that must be taken to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza," the agency reported.

US President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Friday about the possibility of reaching a new ceasefire in Gaza, indicating that this could happen as early as "next week."

In early March, Israel imposed a strict blockade on the Gaza Strip, preventing the entry of humanitarian aid, leading to a severe shortage of food, medicine, and other essential goods.

The Hebrew state slightly eased its blockade in late May when the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid.

However, there are almost daily reports of Israeli military fire on Palestinians waiting for food supplies, resulting in the deaths of 583 Palestinians since then near these centers.