Turkish President and Hamas Officials Hold First Meeting Since Gaza Ceasefire

 In this handout photo released by Turkish Presidency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, sits next to members of the Hamas leadership council, left, including senior leader Mohammed Darwish, center left, and Turkish Foreign Minster Hakan Fidan, center right, at the Presidential palace in Ankara, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (Turkish Presidency via AP)
In this handout photo released by Turkish Presidency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, sits next to members of the Hamas leadership council, left, including senior leader Mohammed Darwish, center left, and Turkish Foreign Minster Hakan Fidan, center right, at the Presidential palace in Ankara, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (Turkish Presidency via AP)
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Turkish President and Hamas Officials Hold First Meeting Since Gaza Ceasefire

 In this handout photo released by Turkish Presidency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, sits next to members of the Hamas leadership council, left, including senior leader Mohammed Darwish, center left, and Turkish Foreign Minster Hakan Fidan, center right, at the Presidential palace in Ankara, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (Turkish Presidency via AP)
In this handout photo released by Turkish Presidency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, center, sits next to members of the Hamas leadership council, left, including senior leader Mohammed Darwish, center left, and Turkish Foreign Minster Hakan Fidan, center right, at the Presidential palace in Ankara, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (Turkish Presidency via AP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Wednesday with a high-ranking Hamas delegation, marking his first encounter with the group since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Unlike many of its NATO allies, Türkiye does not consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization and Erdogan has maintained a close relationship with the group, regularly hosting its leaders.

A brief statement from the president’s office said Erdogan met with the delegation, which includes senior leader Mohammed Darwish and other members of the Hamas leadership council, in the Turkish capital Ankara.

The statement did not provide further details but a photograph of the meeting showed that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, were present.



Hezbollah Chief Says Israel Must Fully Withdraw from Lebanon by February 18

 A photo taken from the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Hamam shows smoke rising after an explosion during an Israeli army operation in the village of Kfar Shouba near the border on February 16, 2024. (AFP)
A photo taken from the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Hamam shows smoke rising after an explosion during an Israeli army operation in the village of Kfar Shouba near the border on February 16, 2024. (AFP)
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Hezbollah Chief Says Israel Must Fully Withdraw from Lebanon by February 18

 A photo taken from the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Hamam shows smoke rising after an explosion during an Israeli army operation in the village of Kfar Shouba near the border on February 16, 2024. (AFP)
A photo taken from the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Hamam shows smoke rising after an explosion during an Israeli army operation in the village of Kfar Shouba near the border on February 16, 2024. (AFP)

The head of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said on Sunday that Israeli troops must withdraw from Lebanese territory in full by a February 18 deadline, saying it had "no pretext" to maintain a military presence in any post in southern Lebanon.

Under a truce brokered by Washington in November, Israeli troops were granted 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon where they had waged a ground offensive against fighters from Iran-backed Hezbollah since early October.

That deadline was later extended to February 18, but Israel's military requested that it keep troops in five posts in southern Lebanon, sources told Reuters last week.

In a recorded televised speech, Hezbollah secretary general Naim Qassem said: "Israel must withdraw completely on Feb. 18, it has no pretext, no five points or other details... this is the agreement."

Qassem said any Israeli military presence on Lebanese soil after February 18 would be considered an occupying force.

"Everyone knows how an occupation is dealt with," Qassem said, without explicitly threatening that his group would resume attacks against Israel.

Israel's public broadcaster said on Wednesday the US had authorized a "long term" Israeli troop presence in southern Lebanon.

During the broadcast of Qassem's speech, at least three Israeli air strikes hit Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley. Israel's military said it conducted strikes after identifying Hezbollah activity at sites containing rocket launchers and other weapons.

Qassem also called on the Lebanese government to reconsider its ban on Iranian flights landing in Beirut.

Lebanese authorities banned the flights from landing until February 18 following Israeli accusations that Tehran was using civilian aircraft to smuggle cash to Beirut to arm Hezbollah.

The decision stranded dozens of Lebanese nationals in Iran, where they had been on a religious pilgrimage with plans to return via Iran's Mahan Air. Lebanon sent two of its own planes to retrieve them, but Iran barred them from landing in Tehran.

Hezbollah organized a protest outside Beirut airport on Saturday, where its supporters were tear gassed by Lebanese troops.

Qassem described Lebanon's ban on Iranian planes as "the implementation of an Israeli order".

"Let the plane land and we will see what Israel will do," he said.