Yesterday, Israel and Turkey publicized the details of their agreement to restore diplomatic relations. In order to achieve a deal, the two governments had to give up key demands: Ankara’s insistence that Jerusalem end the blockade on Gaza and Jerusalem’s insistence that Ankara expel Hamas from its borders. Yoni Ben Menachem writes:
On issues regarding the Gaza Strip, Hamas and Turkey have been closely collaborating since [2010]. The alliance between them stems from the common ideology of Hamas and Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, both affiliates of the worldwide Muslim Brotherhood movement. . . . Throughout the talks with Israel on normalizing relations, Turkey constantly updated Hamas and consulted with it. . . .
Hamas is portraying Turkey’s rebuff of Israel’s demand to close Hamas’s office in Istanbul as a [victory]. Although the office will remain open, according to Israeli sources, Turkey promised Israel that the office will instigate no further terror attacks on it.
According to Israeli security officials, it was this office that activated the terror gang that kidnapped and murdered three Israeli teenage boys near Hebron in the summer of 2014, as well as the terror gang that murdered Eitam and Naama Henkin near Nablus at the end of last year. . . .
Hamas officials say that Turkey will play a further role after signing the normalization agreement with Israel. In the next stage, Turkey is supposed to try and mediate a long-term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as well as a prisoner exchange in which four Israelis (or their bodies) held by Hamas will be released in return for Palestinian terrorists held by Israel.
Read more on Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs: http://jcpa.org/israel-turkey-agreement-turkey-hamas-will-still-collaborate/