Meeting Between Witkoff and al-Hayya Halted Due to Israeli Pressure
US envoy’s planned Ankara meeting with senior Hamas official scrapped amid Israeli anger
Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - A meeting between US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Hamas’ lead negotiator Khalil al-Hayya has been cancelled. Sources reported this on Wednesday.
The sources cited Israeli pressure as the reason for the cancellation of the meeting, which was scheduled to take place today in Ankara.
Zionist media reported that Israeli officials were infuriated over Witkoff’s planned meeting with the senior Hamas figure to discuss Gaza’s future.
Israeli news site Walla stated that the Israeli security establishment was experiencing “intense anger” ahead of the meeting, following reports that Witkoff was planning to meet Khalil al-Hayya on Wednesday in Türkiye.
First Reports and Additional Confirmations
The cancelled meeting in Ankara was first disclosed on Tuesday by Hani al-Dali, an analyst on Palestinian Resistance movements, in comments to Al Mayadeen.
Last Friday, The New York Times also reported that Witkoff was preparing to meet al-Hayya, although the report did not specify when the meeting would occur.
According to Walla, officials familiar with the work of the “operations mechanism” in Kiryat Gat said that holding such a meeting would amount to recognition of Hamas’ standing and would complicate “Israel’s” efforts to advance negotiations with the movement.
The report also noted that the discussion was expected to focus on the “day after” in Gaza, and was likely to trigger criticism within Israeli circles.
Fears of Disruption to Negotiation Phases
Israeli sources cited by Walla argued that the meeting could impact talks on shifting from Phase A to Phase B of the current negotiation framework.
“Israel” continues to oppose entering Phase B without the return of all captive bodies, the disarmament of Gaza, and the end of Hamas’ rule.
Earlier, political sources in “Israel” had already voiced concern over what they described as growing “proximity” between the US envoy and Hamas, following reports of the anticipated meeting with al-Hayya.
Previous Meetings and US Involvement
The planned Ankara meeting was not without precedent. Witkoff and al-Hayya previously met in October in Sharm el-Sheikh shortly before the ceasefire agreement was signed.
Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, also attended that meeting.
In an interview aired last month on the program 60 Minutes, Witkoff revealed that he had offered condolences to al-Hayya over the killing of his son in September, when Israeli warplanes launched missiles at a compound in Qatar where Hamas officials had convened. (PW)