Israeli Anger Over Weitkov-Hayyah Meeting: Acknowledgment of Hamas's Status

Translation by SadaNews - The special envoy for Trump is expected to meet with Hamas leader Khalil Hayyah in Istanbul today, Wednesday, at a time when Israeli sources consider the meeting to represent an acknowledgment of Hamas's status, which will complicate Israel's transition phase from negotiations with the organization, according to the Hebrew site Walla.

The Walla Hebrew site reports in a translated piece: "There is a strong sense of anger among the Israeli security establishment following reports of an impending meeting between U.S. special envoy Steve Weitkov and Hamas leader Khalil Hayyah today in Istanbul. This meeting will represent an acknowledgment of Hamas's status, and it will complicate Israel's transition phase from negotiations with the movement."

The Hebrew site continues: "According to sources, the upcoming meeting is supposed to discuss the 'next day' in the Gaza Strip. This meeting is expected to draw criticism given the classification of Hamas as a terrorist organization. According to these sources, the meeting will have repercussions for negotiations transitioning from phase (A) to phase (B), especially in light of Israel's opposition to moving to phase (B) without the return of all hostages, disarming the sector, and ending Hamas's rule."

This report comes in the wake of a report published by The New York Times last Friday, indicating that Weitkov is expected to meet with Hayyah.

Walla continued, as translated by SadaNews: "This planned meeting is not an unprecedented event, as they previously met in October in Sharm El-Sheikh, just moments before signing a ceasefire agreement. Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump and close to him, was also present at that meeting."

In an interview broadcast last month on the program "60 Minutes," Weitkov said he had offered condolences to Hayyah for the martyrdom of his son in September, in an attack in which the Israeli Air Force fired missiles at a compound in Qatar where senior Hamas leaders were meeting.