Turkey 'Politely Asks' Hamas Bureau Chief to Leave the Country

The head of Hamas's political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, has been 'politely asked' to leave Turkey, according to Al Monitor, citing multiple sources. Haniyeh resides in Qatar but spends significant time in Turkey; he was there during Hamas's attack on Israel, as reported by Meduza.

According to the American publication specializing in Middle Eastern affairs, Turkish authorities made this decision after a video surfaced on social media showing Haniyeh and other representatives of Hamas leadership 'saying prayers of gratitude' while watching reports of the assault.

At the same time, Al Monitor emphasizes that while Turkey is likely trying to distance itself from Hamas, it does not intend to harden its position toward the group to the extent desired by Western countries. The leadership of Hamas, the publication notes, also seemingly finds no issue with the Turkish authorities' response.

Specifically, it was reported that on October 21, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had a phone conversation with Ismail Haniyeh. As reported by Reuters, Erdoğan told Haniyeh about Ankara's efforts to achieve a ceasefire, organize humanitarian aid for Gaza, and discussed possibilities for treating injured Palestinians in Turkey.

On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel, killing hundreds of residents in communities bordering Gaza and taking more than 200 hostages. Overall, according to Israeli authorities, the terrorist attacks resulted in the deaths of about 1,400 residents of the country.

The Israel Defense Forces have responded to the assault by striking Gaza and are preparing for a ground operation. Officials from the Palestinian Authority reported on October 23 that 5,000 people have been killed in Gaza over the past two weeks, including 436 residents in the last 24 hours.