Israel has approached Turkey in recent weeks, signaling its willingness to leverage Ankara’s influence in efforts to secure a potential hostage deal with Hamas in Gaza.
While senior Israeli and U.S. officials have denied direct mediation by Turkey, U.S. President Joe Biden hinted at Turkey’s involvement during his Tuesday speech on the Lebanon ceasefire. He stated, "Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and others to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza."
Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar conducted a covert visit to Turkey approximately 10 days ago. A senior Israeli official clarified that Turkey would not mediate the hostage deal but might exert pressure on Hamas, particularly as key leaders have recently shifted their base from Qatar to Istanbul.
A White House official echoed these sentiments, denying Turkey’s role as a mediator. “I think President Biden was referring to the fact that certain parties involved are currently in Turkey, which brought it into the picture,” the official explained. “This wasn’t to suggest that Turkey is mediating or negotiating. That said, we’ll leave no stone unturned in trying to make progress.”
* Ynet contributed to this article.
