High Drama in Ankara
U.S.–Hamas Secret Meeting Between Witkoff and Khalil al-Hayya Abruptly Canceled at Last Minute
Secret U.S.–Hamas summit in Ankara explodes before it begins: Trump envoy Steve Witkoff’s bombshell meeting with terror chief Khalil al-Hayya abruptly canceled at the 11th hour.
A high-level meeting scheduled for today (Wednesday) in the Turkish capital between White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya was suddenly scrapped, according to Lebanese network Al-Mayadeen, citing Palestinian sources.
The reason: intense Israeli pressure. The encounter was meant to include additional senior Hamas officials and continue quiet back-channel talks on a possible hostage deal and Gaza ceasefire.
Witkoff and al-Hayya previously met in Cairo last month (a meeting that also involved Jared Kushner), during which Witkoff offered personal condolences over the death of al-Hayya’s son, revealing he too had lost a son to an opioid overdose at age 22.
The abrupt cancellation marks the latest twist in the Trump administration’s controversial direct outreach to Hamas political leadership, an approach Israel has repeatedly condemned.