Most senior Hamas officials now reside in Turkey, all meetings held there, sources say

Citing unnamed sources, Israeli news channel N12 reports that the vast majority of senior Hamas officials are staying in Turkey for extended periods, including some whose families live in Qatar. All meetings concerning ceasefire talks, internal matters, and other issues are now taking place on Turkish soil, according to the sources.

This report, published Friday at 11:44 Jerusalem time, expands on an earlier report from roughly 10:04 that Hamas leadership meetings had moved from Qatar to Turkey. The new sourcing, attributed to unnamed sources by N12 journalist Sapir Lipkin, indicates that the vast majority of senior Hamas officials are now residing in Turkey for extended periods — including those whose families remain in Qatar — and that all meetings, whether on ceasefire negotiations, internal affairs, or other issues, are conducted on Turkish soil.

The earlier bulletin, which cited an Asharq Al-Awsat report, noted that the recent elections for the head of Hamas's political bureau were held in Istanbul. This message adds a layer of detail: the officials themselves are taking up residence, not merely convening for meetings, signaling a deeper entrenchment of the group's political leadership in Turkey.

The report adds to a series of warnings from Israeli security agencies about Hamas's growing presence in Turkey. On June 21, the Shin Bet and IDF directly accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of harboring Hamas operatives, saying dozens of planned attacks directed from Turkish soil had been foiled over the past year. The following day, former Mossad counter-terror division head Oded Eilam warned that Turkey was becoming Hamas's new center of gravity and argued Israel should not refrain from covert operations there. The report is based on anonymous sources and has not been officially confirmed by Israel or Turkey.

4 developments

1. 2 hours ago · 12:17 · 10 JulLatest

   Hamas held internal elections for political bureau head in Istanbul in May.

2. 12:02 · 10 Jul

   Hamas seeks to reduce pressure on Qatar and renew ties with Syria.

3. 11:46 · 10 Jul

   All Hamas meetings, including ceasefire talks, are now held in Turkey.

• Strong13:02 · 18 JunHamas says delegation completed Cairo talks, heading to Turkey
• Strong3 days ago · 09:15 · 7 JulArab report: Hamas delegation flies from Cairo to Turkey ahead of expanded ceasefire talks
• Developing20:27 · 2 JulHamas awaits Israeli elections amid stalled Phase 2 talks, disappointed with Iran
• Developing18:12 · 22 JunFormer Mossad official warns Turkey becoming Hamas's new center of gravity

Source and signal

• Internal intake