ANKARA / ISTANBUL

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with members of the Hamas political bureau in Istanbul, said Turkish diplomatic sources on Saturday.

The meeting focused on the status of the ceasefire in Gaza and ongoing humanitarian needs in the war-torn Palestinian territory, the sources said.

Since the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire agreement began on Oct. 10, Hamas has released 20 Israeli captives alive and handed over the remains of 19 out of 28, most of them Israelis. However, Israel claimed that one of the received bodies did not match any of its listed captives.

Israel has killed 211 Palestinians and injured 597 others since the ceasefire, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Israel has linked the second phase of ceasefire talks to the return of all hostage remains. Hamas says the process requires time due to the massive destruction in Gaza.

Phase one of the deal includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages rebuilding Gaza and establishing a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

Israel has killed more than 68,500 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,600 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023.