Turkish FM: Gaza ceasefire talks stopped on 3 points
Shafaq News – Ankara (Updated at 7:10 p.m.)
On Saturday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan revealed that negotiations over a ceasefire in Gaza are stalled over three key points.
In a televised interview, Fidan explained that the first point of contention concerns how humanitarian aid will be distributed in Gaza and which party will oversee it after a ceasefire is declared, noting that Hamas wants the United Nations to handle aid delivery, while Israel opposes this arrangement.
The second issue relates to the withdrawal of Israeli ground troops from Gaza and the locations where those forces would redeploy.
The third and most disputed point reportedly involves Hamas’s demand for Israel to commit to maintaining the ceasefire terms even after all Israeli hostages are released.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump claimed that Hamas “never truly wanted a deal,” a day after American and Israeli delegations withdrew from the Doha talks on prisoner exchange and a ceasefire in Gaza. “It got to a point where you have to finish the job. You’re gonna have to get rid of Hamas… now they are going to be hunted down,” he stated.
According to Axios, Trump’s remarks were interpreted by some Israeli officials as a potential green light for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to escalate military operations in the Gaza Strip, though others speculated it may have been a negotiation tactic aimed at increasing pressure on Hamas.
However, Egypt and Qatar clarified in a joint statement that the pause in negotiations was merely to allow for consultations before resuming dialogue, calling it a normal step in a complex negotiation process between Hamas and Israel.
Statement | Qatar and Egypt affirm the continuation of their tireless efforts over the Gaza mediation file#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/9MMz6o84SO
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) July 25, 2025
Hamas official, Izzat al-Risheq, rejected the US claims, saying they contradict the assessments of the mediators and do not reflect the actual progress being made in the talks.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated to its worst levels since the war began 20 months ago. According to the health ministry in Gaza, at least 122 Palestinians have died from starvation in recent weeks. The total Palestinian death toll now approaches 60,000.
