President Erdogan Praises Hamas for Accepting Ceasefire Proposal: Expects Israel to Do the Same, West Increases Pressure

President Recep Tayyip Erdobulan received the Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh at the Dolmabatawase Presidential Office, Istanbul (Source: Presidency of The Republic of Turkiye)

JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday welcomed the decision of the Hamas militant group to accept the ceasefire proposal in Gaza, hoping that Israel would also do the same.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, President Erdogan called on Western countries to increase pressure on the Israeli leadership to accept a ceasefire.

Ankara has repeatedly complained about what it calls the West's unconditional support for Israel, especially the United States.

"We welcome Hamas' statement accepting the ceasefire with our advice. Now, Israel must take the same steps," he said, as reported by Reuters, May 7.

Türkiye condemns Israel's attacks on Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire. Later, Ankara stopped all trade with Israel, announcing its decision to follow South Africa's request to have Israel tried on genocide charges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Shortly after that, President Erdogan in a tweet on the social media platform

"In the call, I stated I felt positive for Hamas to take such a decision on Turkey's advice, we emphasized that Israel must also take steps for a lasting ceasefire," President Erdogan tweeted in X.

Last month, President Erdogan hosted Haniyeh and a delegation from Hamas, which he called a "liberation movement" in Istanbul last month.

As previously reported, the Palestinian militant group Hamas reportedly agreed to a three-stage ceasefire and hostage release agreement, which included the full withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the blockade of Gaza, a proposal that Israel considered unacceptable but was willing to continue negotiations.

Taher Al-Nono, a Hamas official and Haniyeh adviser, told Reuters the proposal met the group's demands for reconstruction efforts in Gaza, the repatriation of displaced Palestinians, and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

Meanwhile, Hamas Deputy Chairman in Gaza Khalil Al-Hayya told Al Jazeera television that the proposal consisted of three stages, each lasting six weeks, with Israel to withdraw its troops from Gaza in the second stage.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office later said Hamas' latest ceasefire proposal did not meet Israel's demands, but that it would send a delegation to meet with negotiators to try to reach an agreement. In a statement, Netanyahu's office added that his war cabinet had approved the continuation of operations in Rafah.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the proposal Hamas accepted was a more modest version of Egypt's offer and included elements that Israel could not accept.

But an official briefed on the peace talks, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the offer Hamas accepted was basically the same as the one Israel agreed to in late April.