Erdoğan: Chance for peace in Gaza conflict lost for now

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the chance for peace in Gaza after the humanitarian pause was lost for now due to what he described as Israel's uncompromising approach, scores of Turkish broadcasters reported on Saturday.

"We have always emphasized that we are in favor of a permanent ceasefire rather than a humanitarian break...There was an opportunity for peace here, and unfortunately, we have lost this opportunity for now due to Israel's uncompromising approach," Erdoğan was quoted as saying by the Turkish media outlets.

The truce that started on Nov. 24 had been extended twice. But after seven days during which women, children and foreign hostages were freed as well as a number of Palestinian prisoners, mediators failed to find a formula to release more.

Since then Israeli air strikes and artillery bombardments have hit southern Gaza, extending the nearly two-month-old war in which thousands of people have died.

Speaking to reporters on his way back from the United Arab Emirates, Erdoğan said that he is not losing hope for a lasting peace in the conflict adding that Hamas cannot be excluded from its potential solution, according to NTV.

"We need to focus on the two-state solution...The exclusion of Hamas or destruction of Hamas is not a realistic scenario," Erdoğan said during the interview, adding that he will not define Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

Erdoğan also said a contact group formed by the OIC and Arab League would visit the United States to discuss possible resolution of conflict in Gaza after meeting with authorities in London, Paris, Barcelona and the United Nations.