Shin Bet chief discusses Gaza truce in Turkey: What we know
The Israeli official's travel to Turkey marks a dramatic development considering that Ankara has not played a part in these negotiations over the past year and Israel-Turkey relations have significantly deteriorated amid the Gaza war.
Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar traveled to Turkey on Saturday, where he met with his Turkish counterpart, Ibrahim Kalin, in an effort to jumpstart discussions on a deal between Israel and Hamas for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages, marking a dramatic development considering that Turkey has not played a part in these negotiations over the past year.
Bar's visit came against the backdrop of a stalemate in the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar. According to the Walla news outlet, the two discussed the possibility of what unnamed Israeli sources called "Turkish assistance to the Palestinians," though no further details were provided.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of senior ministers and senior security chiefs to discuss efforts to release the 101 hostages in Gaza, a third of whom are thought to be dead. Bar briefed the participants on his discussion with Kalin.
Speaking at the Knesset on Monday, Netanyahu said that "our strategy is victory, which would include the liberation of the hostages, and we will get that. We will bring home dozens of hostages, hopefully in the near future."
