Ankara: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has highlighted three main points of contention in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Gaza.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Fidan, in an interview with the Turkish NTV channel, explained that the first issue revolves around the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza post-ceasefire. Hamas prefers that the United Nations manage the aid distribution, a proposal that Israel rejects.

The second point of dispute involves the withdrawal of Israeli ground forces from Gaza and determining where these forces would be redeployed. The third issue concerns Hamas’s demand for Israel to maintain the agreement following the release of all Israeli prisoners.

In the background of these negotiations, former US President Donald Trump accused Hamas of lacking interest in finalizing a deal. This claim followed the withdrawal of US and Israeli delegations from talks in Doha. US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff echoed Trump’s sentiment, suggesting Hamas’s response to the ceasefire proposal reflected a reluctance to reach an agreement.

Despite these assertions, Egypt and Qatar issued a joint statement indicating that the negotiation suspension was a strategic pause for consultations, which they deemed a typical aspect of such complex negotiations. Hamas leader Izzat al-Rishq refuted the claims made by Trump and Witkoff, stating they contradicted the mediators’ assessments and overlooked the progress made in the negotiations.

Fidan also addressed the humanitarian situation in Gaza, accusing Israel of rendering the area uninhabitable by targeting its infrastructure and contributing to starvation. He noted Israeli efforts to relocate Palestinian refugees to other countries, a plan dubbed the “Gaza without Palestinians” project, against which Turkey has issued warnings to relevant nations.

Furthermore, Fidan commented on the recent resolution by the Israeli parliament calling for the annexation of the occupied West Bank. He expressed skepticism about its long-term benefits for Israel, emphasizing the risks of dismissing the two-state solution and maintaining unresolved territorial disputes.