Senior Hamas officials have reportedly relocated to Turkey after spending time in Qatar, according to a report by Israeli state broadcaster KAN on Sunday. This follows recent reports that Qatar had agreed to expel Hamas from its territory.
Earlier this month, KAN cited an American source confirming Qatar’s agreement to remove Hamas. A separate KAN report claimed that Qatar had directly told the terrorist group, “You are not welcome here.” It remains unclear whether the Hamas officials’ presence in Turkey is directly related to these reports. Reuters also previously reported US pressure on Qatar to expel Hamas following the group’s rejection of a hostage deal/ceasefire proposal.
Turkey has shown sympathy for Hamas throughout the recent conflict. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a day of mourning following the death of Hamas political bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh in August and ordered the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv to lower its flag to half-mast. In March, Erdogan affirmed Ankara’s firm support for Hamas, according to Arab News