Turkey played a key role in securing the release of five Thai hostages who had been held in Gaza for nearly 16 months, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan © X
Turkey played a key role in securing the release of five Thai hostages who had been held in Gaza for nearly 16 months, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency.
The report states that Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) engaged in negotiations with Hamas under the direct orders of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The five Thai nationals were kidnapped on October 7, 2023, during Hamas' attack on southern Israel. They were freed on Thursday, alongside three Israeli hostages, as part of the third hostage-prisoner exchange under the ongoing ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
In an effort to mediate the release, President Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Turkey’s intelligence chief met with a Hamas delegation in Ankara on Wednesday. The delegation was led by Mohammed Ismail Darwish, the head of Hamas' Shura Council.
This latest development underscores Turkey’s diplomatic engagement in regional conflicts and its active role in humanitarian negotiations related to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.
While Ankara supports Hamas, it keeps diplomatic channels open with Israel.
By Antoione Khoury
The United States has drafted a United Nations resolution that approves a two-year mandate for a Gaza transitional governance body and an international stabilization force in the Palestinian enclave, according to the text seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
In a city that once prided itself on being the beating heart of American pluralism and resilience, New Yorkers have just handed the keys to City Hall to Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist firebrand whose ascension reeks of ideological fanaticism masquerading as progress.
In a strongly worded message, Dr. Rafiq Halabi, a prominent Druze leader from Israel, is calling on New York voters to oppose the candidacy of Zohran Mamdani, whom he describes as a dangerous threat to the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
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