Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met Hamas leaders in Türkiye on Saturday for talks about how to deliver aid to war-ravaged Gaza where Israel resumed its military offensive last month.

Kalin held talks with Mohammad Darwish, head of the political council of Hamas which rules Gaza and his delegation, Türkiye’s Anadolu state news agency reported, saying they also spoke of initiatives to secure a permanent ceasefire and ways to counter Israeli plans to displace Gaza’s population by force.

Kalin reassured them of Türkiye’s ongoing support and said Ankara would firmly oppose any new efforts to occupy or annex further Palestinian territory.

In a statement, Hamas said its leaders had stressed their willingness to “immediately reach a comprehensive prisoner exchange agreement in return for a ceasefire” as well as an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the start of reconstruction and the lifting of Israel’s blockade.

It also expressed a desire to see “the immediate implementation of the Egyptian proposal to establish a special committee to govern the Gaza Strip, composed of independents and competent national figures.”

The Palestinian militant group had on Thursday signalled its rejection of Israel’s latest proposal for a 45-day ceasefire, calling for a “comprehensive” deal to end the 18-month-long war.

Since March 2, Israel has imposed a total blockade on aid entering Gaza.

The United Nations has warned the territory was in the grip of its most severe humanitarian crisis since the war began in October 2023, triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel.

Hamas has accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon” but Israel has vowed to keep up its blockade, saying it was the only way to force the militant group to release the 58 hostages still held in Gaza.

After a two-month ceasefire, Israel renewed its Gaza assault on March 18, and since then has killed at least 1,691 people, the health ministry says, bringing the overall toll to 51,065, mostly civilians.

The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.