Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed in a phone call with his US counterpart Anthony Blinken the need to pressure Israel to achieve a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

This came in a post by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on the X platform, Monday, after a phone call between Fidan and Blinken at the request of the American side.

The two sides discussed, according to the post, the indirect negotiations process between Israel and Hamas and the growing tension in the region.

"The martyrdom of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh and the ongoing massacre against Palestinians once again show that Israel is not ready for peace," the Turkish foreign minister said in the phone call.

According to the State Department, Fidan explained to his American counterpart that Hamas had previously taken a "constructive position" towards the ceasefire, saying: "Pressure must be exerted on Israel for a permanent ceasefire."

Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been leading indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas for months, but they have not resulted in an agreement due to Tel Aviv's refusal to end the war, withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip and return the displaced Palestinians to the north of the Strip.

The Turkish foreign minister expressed his concern about the growing tension in the region, and stressed to Blinken the need for Israel to avoid "provocative steps that would expand the scope of the conflict in the region."

Israel is awaiting retaliatory responses from Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas for the assassination of the head of Hamas' political bureau.