Top Turkish Diplomat, Hamas Chief Discuss Israeli Attacks

Türkiye's foreign minister spoke by phone Sunday with the political leader of Palestinian resistance group Hamas on the latest developments in the region.

During the call, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Ismail Haniyeh discussed the latest Israeli attacks on Gaza and raid attempt on the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, according to a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Earlier Sunday, the ministry condemned attempts by hundreds of Israeli settlers to force their way into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa complex in occupied East Jerusalem as well as ongoing Israeli attacks that have caused the deaths of Palestinian civilians.

Israeli warplanes continued airstrikes in the Gaza Strip for the third day Sunday, for what the army said was to prevent an "imminent threat of attacks" by the Islamic Jihad group.

At least 31 Palestinians have been killed, including six children and four women, and over 275 others injured in the Israeli offensive, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The attacks came amid rising tensions across Palestinian territories following the detention last Tuesday of 62-year-old Bassam al-Saadi, a senior leader of Islamic Jihad, in an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. -