Hamas officials denied the veracity of "Israeli reports" about the movement's leaders moving from Qatar to Turkey, considering them "untrue news" aimed at "exerting pressure" on the movement.

A Palestinian movement official told Al-Sharq TV, "The Israeli authorities are leaking this type of false news, with the aim of exerting pressure or threatening to do so."

The official added: "There is nothing new at all about the issue of the movement's leadership being in Qatar. We are present in Doha, and the issue of our presence here has not been opened at all."

Regarding the presence of a number of the movement’s leaders in Istanbul, the officials attributed this to “social and personal occasions,” noting that those leaders, including political bureau member Musa Abu Marzouk, who traveled to Istanbul on Sunday after the death of his sister’s husband who resides there, to participate in the funeral and condolences, will return to Doha.

Hamas leaders have been residing in Qatar since their exit from Syria in 2011, based on understandings reached between Qatar on the one hand, and the United States and Israel on the other hand, regarding the limits of this hosting.

Israel has recently called for American pressure on Qatar to expel the movement's leaders unless the latter releases Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip.

But the movement's leadership says that Qatar, which is playing a mediating role in the prisoner exchange process, shows understanding of the movement's position after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed down from previous understandings with mediators in this regard.

Hamas does not rule out a change in American policy under the US President-elect Donald Trump, who is returning to the White House, and says that it has "alternative plans" for any possible scenario.

Last week, hopes for a truce in Israel's war on the Gaza Strip suffered a setback when Qatar announced it was suspending its mediation role in the negotiations.

Earlier on Monday, a Turkish diplomatic source denied reports that the Hamas political bureau had been moved from Qatar to Turkey, noting that leaders of the movement visit the country from time to time.

The diplomatic source said, "Members of Hamas's political bureau visit Turkey from time to time. Claims that Hamas's political bureau has moved to Turkey do not reflect the truth," according to Reuters.

Doha said last week that it had informed Hamas and Israel that it would freeze its mediation efforts to reach a ceasefire and release detainees until they showed "seriousness and real will" to resume talks.

She also said that media reports that Doha had informed Hamas to leave the country were "inaccurate."