Istanbul, October 11, 2025 – In a rare public address that underscored Türkiye's pivotal role in Middle East diplomacy, National Intelligence Organization (MIT) head Ibrahim Kalin declared the newly inked ceasefire in Gaza a "historic turning point" that closes a "significant and painful chapter" in the region's tormented history. Speaking on Friday at the inaugural International Congress on Intelligence Studies in Ankara, Kalin cautioned that the truce's success hinges on "great vigilance and care," warning of potential sabotage in the enclave's volatile landscape.
The ceasefire, activated at noon local time on October 10, marks the first major de-escalation in the two-year Israel-Hamas war that has claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives and displaced nearly the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry and United Nations estimates. Kalin's remarks, delivered before an audience of international intelligence experts, diplomats, and academics, come as displaced Gazans tentatively return to shattered homes in the north, Israeli forces partially withdraw, and global leaders scramble to enforce U.S. President Donald Trump's ambitious 20-point peace framework.
"With the establishment of the ceasefire in Gaza, as of this morning, we have left behind an important period in our recent history," Kalin stated, his voice steady but laced with the weight of the conflict's toll. "The genocide policies carried out against the people of Gaza for two years have, as of today, ended with this ceasefire." His use of the term "genocide" echoes a September 2025 United Nations inquiry that first officially labeled Israel's actions in Gaza as such, a finding vehemently denied by Jerusalem but embraced by rights groups and much of the Arab world.
Kalin's appearance at the congress – the first international intelligence forum hosted in Türkiye – was no mere formality. Organized by the National Intelligence Academy (NIA), a MIT-affiliated institution founded 18 months ago, the event drew scholars from over 20 countries to dissect the shadowy intersections of espionage, cybersecurity, and geopolitics. Kalin, a soft-spoken former academic with a doctorate in Islamic thought, used the platform to blend intelligence insights with diplomatic advocacy, positioning Türkiye as a bridge-builder in a fractured region.
The truce's genesis traces back to Trump's September 29, 2025, White House press conference, where the president unveiled his 20-point blueprint amid mounting global pressure. "If Hamas accepts this deal, all hostages – alive and deceased – will be released almost immediately," Trump declared then, setting a October 5 deadline under threat of "all hell" breaking loose. What followed was a whirlwind of shuttle diplomacy in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh, involving envoys from Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, and Türkiye. By October 8, Israel and Hamas inked the first phase: a 72-hour window for Hamas to release all 20 surviving Israeli hostages (from an original 253 abducted on October 7, 2023) in exchange for Israel's freeing of 250 long-term Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 wartime detainees, including women and children.
As of Saturday morning, the clock ticks toward Monday's deadline, with no releases reported yet but preparations underway. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has positioned teams at Rafah for "safe and dignified" handovers, while U.S. military logistics experts – 200 personnel deploying from CENTCOM – coordinate from Israel without entering Gaza. Hamas's exiled leader, Khalil al-Hayya, confirmed in a televised address: "We have received guarantees... that the war has completely ended," pledging a "permanent ceasefire" implementation. Yet, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tempered optimism, vowing: "Hamas will disarm and Gaza will be demilitarized. If not the easy way, then the hard way."
On the ground, the ceasefire's first hours brought a surreal calm to Gaza's rubble-strewn streets. Thousands of Palestinians, many barefoot and clutching salvaged belongings, trekked north along Al-Rashid Street toward Gaza City and Jabalia, their faces etched with exhaustion but flickering hope. "All of Gaza is happy... the end of bloodshed," one resident, Abdul Majeed Abd Rabbo, told Reuters from a makeshift tent in Khan Younis. Hamas police reemerged in Gaza City, directing traffic amid the ruins, while Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) repositioned to hold 53% of the territory, including a "security perimeter" along the northern border. Recovery teams unearthed 81 bodies in the withdrawal's wake, pushing the death toll to 67,211 – a figure that includes 17 killed in the final 24 hours before the truce.
Humanitarian corridors stirred to life, with 600 trucks queued at Rafah and Kerem Shalom, laden with flour, medicine, and fuel – a surge from the pre-ceasefire trickle of 100 daily. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini hailed it as a "lifeline," noting the enclave's August-declared famine had pushed over 500,000 into "catastrophic" starvation. Yet challenges loom: Aid distribution remains hampered by destroyed roads, and the Rafah crossing's full reopening – slated for October 14 under EU oversight – awaits Israeli security nods.
Kalin, who shuttled between Cairo and Doha in the talks' final stretch, emphasized Türkiye's mediator mantle. "During the intense negotiations held a day ago, we saw clearly that where mutual trust is lacking, what resolves problems is willpower, intent, determination – and the hope these generate," he said. Turkish security sources revealed Ankara's involvement in crafting a multinational task force – including troops from Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the UAE – to monitor the truce and prevent incursions. This echoes Türkiye's earlier 2025 efforts, including a January truce that briefly held before collapsing in March amid mutual accusations.
The congress itself, hosted at Ankara's NIA, symbolizes Türkiye's push to professionalize its intelligence apparatus. Established in early 2024, the academy has churned out reports on hybrid threats and hosted workshops blending AI-driven surveillance with ethical dilemmas. "It plays a key role in shaping the intelligence discipline and ecosystem in Türkiye," Kalin noted, crediting it for fostering interdisciplinary ties with universities like Gazi and Middle East Technical. Sessions delved into topics from cyber-espionage in the Levant to disinformation's role in Gaza's information war, with delegates from the U.S., UK, and Jordan weighing in.
Globally, reactions poured in like a digital deluge. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted congratulations to Trump, while the UAE's foreign ministry urged "all parties to abide by its terms." In Tel Aviv's Hostage Square, families lit candles; in Ramallah, crowds waved photos of freed prisoners. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham posted on X: "Beyond thankful... but imperative that Hamas completely disarms." X buzzed with #GazaTruce, amassing 50 million views, though skeptics recirculated old footage of strikes to stoke doubts.
Yet fragility defines the moment. Explosions echoed in Gaza hours before activation, killing 30 in Khan Younis and Gaza City, per Palestinian officials – strikes Israel attributed to "terror cells" but which mediators decried as brinkmanship. Netanyahu's far-right coalition, including ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, has threatened collapse over the deal, demanding ironclad disarmament. Hamas, too, insists on full Israeli withdrawal before deeper concessions.
Phase two looms larger: A Hamas-free governing body, backed by Arab-Islamic funding and a 200-troop observer force, to oversee reconstruction – estimated at $50 billion over five years. Trump's plan envisions demilitarizing Gaza, destroying "terror infrastructure," and encouraging Palestinian stays while allowing voluntary departures – a nod to earlier "Gaza Riviera" rhetoric that alarmed aid groups. Critics, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, decry limited PA involvement as a sidelining of legitimate governance.
Kalin framed the truce not as endpoint but "first step" toward a two-state solution. "The real solution will only come when a Palestinian state is established," he asserted, invoking Türkiye's longstanding advocacy. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan echoed this in Istanbul, warning a repeat genocide would exact a "heavy cost" and pledging $1 billion in reconstruction aid. With Trump eyeing a Middle East trip – possibly including Ankara – for a signing ceremony, eyes turn to whether willpower can outpace history's ghosts.
In Gaza's shadowed alleys, where schools double as shelters and markets hawk wilted greens, the pause feels provisional. A mother in Beit Hanoun, cradling her toddler amid concrete dust, told BBC Arabic: "It's a wonderful thing in principle... but we've heard promises before." As Kalin concluded: "This ceasefire is not the solution itself – it is only the first step." For now, in this sliver of silence, hope – fragile as it is – endures.
