Big Tank
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Ghinwa Obeid| The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Hezbollah and Hamas Movement officials were reluctant Tuesday to confirm a media report that meetings were taking place in Lebanon between members of the Palestinian group and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to restore financial ties with Iran. Hamas officials refused to confirm or deny the report, insisting the movement had always been engaged in discussions with its allies.
“Relations between Hamas and all Arab and Islamic powers didn’t stop at any period in time,” a source from Hamas told The Daily Star. “We have wide Islamic and Arab relations and we preserve these relations in order to support Palestine, the resistance and the continuation of coordination between the Hamas Movement and all these parties.”
However, the source did not outright deny that the talks, reported by Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat Tuesday, were taking place. A Hezbollah official contacted about the meeting declined to comment, but also did not outright deny the claims.
The report said meetings had begun in Lebanon between officials from Hamas, Hezbollah and the Guard and concluded with an initial agreement that Iran’s financial support for Hamas would be revived.
Such an agreement would reportedly restore the ties between Hamas and Iran to the level they were before the Syrian crisis shook up regional political relationships. The paper said the agreement received the support of Iran’s Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who oversees his country’s operations in Iraq and Syria.
Relations between Iran and the Hamas Movement, which is designated a terrorist organization by several countries, cooled after the two supported opposing sides in the Syrian crisis. Iran supports and is actively fighting alongside forces belonging to Syrian President Bashar Assad, in cooperation with Hezbollah. Meanwhile Hamas supports rebel and Palestinian groups.
The February election of Yahya Sinwar as the Hamas Movement leader in the Gaza Strip was seen as a positive step in terms of rapprochement with Iran. Sinwar is one of the founders of Hamas’ military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, which maintains solid financial and training ties with Iran and Hezbollah and as such he is reportedly close to both.
The recent report of an agreement also pointed out that the election of Ismail Haniyeh in May as head of the Hamas Movement’s political office was favorable to Iran, since Haniyeh is perceived to have a more positive view of Iran.
“The differing positions between Hamas and a group of Arab and Islamic parties that took place were only related to incidents and developments in the Arab world in recent years and in regards to the social and political changes that took place in this area,” the Hamas source said.
Despite certain tensions that might have influenced the relationship, several lines of communication had always remained open, the source added. “Meetings and communication continued to take place in the most difficult times. We are always keen to communicate with all impactful Arab and Islamic parties, for them to know about the Palestinian position and to update them on developments regarding the Palestinian cause, also [regarding] the resistance’s readiness and positions,” the source said, “and we are keen to get the support of all of these parties in order to serve the Palestinian people and the resistance.”
BEIRUT: Hezbollah and Hamas Movement officials were reluctant Tuesday to confirm a media report that meetings were taking place in Lebanon between members of the Palestinian group and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to restore financial ties with Iran. Hamas officials refused to confirm or deny the report, insisting the movement had always been engaged in discussions with its allies.
“Relations between Hamas and all Arab and Islamic powers didn’t stop at any period in time,” a source from Hamas told The Daily Star. “We have wide Islamic and Arab relations and we preserve these relations in order to support Palestine, the resistance and the continuation of coordination between the Hamas Movement and all these parties.”
However, the source did not outright deny that the talks, reported by Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat Tuesday, were taking place. A Hezbollah official contacted about the meeting declined to comment, but also did not outright deny the claims.
The report said meetings had begun in Lebanon between officials from Hamas, Hezbollah and the Guard and concluded with an initial agreement that Iran’s financial support for Hamas would be revived.
Such an agreement would reportedly restore the ties between Hamas and Iran to the level they were before the Syrian crisis shook up regional political relationships. The paper said the agreement received the support of Iran’s Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who oversees his country’s operations in Iraq and Syria.
Relations between Iran and the Hamas Movement, which is designated a terrorist organization by several countries, cooled after the two supported opposing sides in the Syrian crisis. Iran supports and is actively fighting alongside forces belonging to Syrian President Bashar Assad, in cooperation with Hezbollah. Meanwhile Hamas supports rebel and Palestinian groups.
The February election of Yahya Sinwar as the Hamas Movement leader in the Gaza Strip was seen as a positive step in terms of rapprochement with Iran. Sinwar is one of the founders of Hamas’ military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, which maintains solid financial and training ties with Iran and Hezbollah and as such he is reportedly close to both.
The recent report of an agreement also pointed out that the election of Ismail Haniyeh in May as head of the Hamas Movement’s political office was favorable to Iran, since Haniyeh is perceived to have a more positive view of Iran.
“The differing positions between Hamas and a group of Arab and Islamic parties that took place were only related to incidents and developments in the Arab world in recent years and in regards to the social and political changes that took place in this area,” the Hamas source said.
Despite certain tensions that might have influenced the relationship, several lines of communication had always remained open, the source added. “Meetings and communication continued to take place in the most difficult times. We are always keen to communicate with all impactful Arab and Islamic parties, for them to know about the Palestinian position and to update them on developments regarding the Palestinian cause, also [regarding] the resistance’s readiness and positions,” the source said, “and we are keen to get the support of all of these parties in order to serve the Palestinian people and the resistance.”
