Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, arrived in Istanbul on Friday evening for discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the death toll in Gaza passed 34,000.

A statement released by Hamas on Friday indicated that Erdogan and Haniyeh would engage in discussions concerning the conflict in Gaza, adding that the head of the group's political bureau was accompanied by a delegation.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated following reports of Israel's attack on Iran, while Gaza prepares for a potential new offensive from Israel.

Erdogan asserted on Wednesday that he would continue "to defend the Palestinian struggle and to be the voice of the oppressed Palestinian people".

But talking to journalists on Friday, he refused to be drawn on the details of the meeting.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was in Qatar Wednesday and said he spent three hours with Haniyeh and his aides for "a wide exchange of views in particular about negotiations for a ceasefire".

On Wednesday, Qatar, acting as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, admitted that discussions aimed at halting hostilities in Gaza and securing the release of hostages were experiencing delays.

Fidan said he spoke with Haniyeh, who lives in Qatar, about how Hamas -- designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States and the European Union -- "must clearly express its expectations, especially about a two-state solution".

Erdogan's last meeting with Haniyeh took place in July 2023, during which Erdogan welcomed him and Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas at the presidential palace in Ankara. Haniyeh's last meeting with Fidan in Turkey occurred on January 2.

According to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures, the war in Gaza began after Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,170 people, predominantly civilians.

Israel's retaliatory military campaign has resulted in the deaths of at least 34,012 people, predominantly women and children, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. 

Additionally, militants have taken around 250 hostages, with approximately 129 believed to be held in Gaza, including 34 presumed dead.

Image source: Reuters