A delegation from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) arrived today, Wednesday, in Damascus, in the first visit since the movement severed its relationship with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad more than 10 years ago, following the outbreak of the Syrian revolution, which turned into an armed conflict.
The German news agency quoted a Palestinian source as saying that the Hamas delegation began a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in which leaders from other Palestinian factions, such as Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front-General Command, will participate. The source added that the leaders of the Palestinian factions will hold a press conference following the meeting with al-Assad.
And the French news agency quoted Hamas leader Khaled Abdel Majid as saying that a delegation from the movement arrived in Damascus for a two-day visit, while it was reported that the movement’s leader, Khalil al-Hayya, headed the delegation.
Hamas’ visit to Damascus comes following its leadership announced last month its desire to resume relations with Damascus, in light of “the accelerating regional and international developments that surround our cause and our nation.”
A Hamas leader said that it is heading to open an office in Damascus, but that it is “too early” to talk regarding returning the movement’s headquarters to Damascus, as it was the case previously.
It is noteworthy that Hamas was an ally of Damascus before relations gradually became tense between the two parties in 2011, following the outbreak of the Syrian revolution, which turned into an armed conflict. In February 2012, the movement announced the departure of its leaders from Damascus, closed all its offices, and suspended its activities there.
fatal blow
For years, Syrian officials considered Hamas’s departure a “fatal blow” to the relationship with Syria, and some described it as a “betrayal.”
Earlier, an official in the movement said that meetings with Syrian officials and the movement were mediated by the Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran.
In a related context, Hamas leader Hazem Qassem said that the movement is interested in developing its relations with Saudi Arabia, and does not have a veto to establish a relationship with any country or party other than the occupation.
He continued, “We had developed relations with Saudi Arabia, but they declined due to the Saudi position and the arrest of the movement’s representatives there,” expressing his movement’s hopes that “Riyadh will retreat from that and return this relationship to its previous era.”
Qassem denied Saudi Arabia’s status of any conditions for the return of the relationship between them, saying, “When Hamas establishes a relationship with any party, it is not subject to any dictates or requirements, and it moves according to the people’s interest and its national vision.”
