Turkish President: Hamas Is Ready for Peace

On October 4 local time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that he welcomed the positive response from the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to the "Gaza Plan" proposed by U.S. President Trump. He said, "Hamas has shown that it is ready to achieve peace," which has opened a "window of opportunity" for lasting peace in the region.

While attending an event in Istanbul, Erdoğan stated that Turkey is intensifying diplomatic efforts aimed at ending Israel's two-year military strikes on the Gaza Strip and achieving local peace and security. He said, "Our goal is to restore tranquility, peace, and security to our brothers and sisters in Gaza as soon as possible. We are going all out in all fields. Last week, we engaged in contacts in New York and Washington and also held in-depth discussions with President Trump on this matter."

He emphasized that during his phone call with Trump on the 3rd, the situation in Gaza remained one of the most important topics, and Hamas's response to the peace plan was satisfactory. The key at present is that "Israel must immediately cease all attacks" to seize the hard-won opportunity for peace. Erdoğan called on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities and not let the "newly sprouted hope for peace wither."

On the evening of October 3 local time, Hamas issued a statement announcing that it had submitted its response to Trump's "20-Point Plan" to the mediators and expressed its willingness to negotiate through the mediators to implement the relevant plan. The statement indicated that the organization agrees to release all Israeli hostages and hand over the remains of the deceased in accordance with Trump's proposal, provided that the necessary conditions for the exchange are met. In this context, Hamas is willing to immediately engage in negotiations through mediators to discuss the specific details of this process.