The Palestinian Hamas movement is set to establish an office and designate a representative in Damascus, Syria, despite critical comments made by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad towards its leadership. Moussa Abu Marzouk, who heads the movement’s international relations office, announced on Monday that Hamas intends to reestablish its office in Damascus and appoint a representative in the near future. Meanwhile, Abu Marzouk noted that the movement is engaged in discussions with Iraqi officials to arrange a delegation’s visit to Baghdad.
Abu Marzouq also indicated that Hamas’ rapport with Saudi Arabia is progressing, particularly in the wake of several recent visits made by the movement to the country.
Treachery and hypocrisy
The Hamas leader’s address follows a statement from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad two days earlier, in which he directed derogatory remarks towards the Hamas leadership during an interview with Sky News Arabia.
Assad stated, “Hamas’s past stance amounted to betrayal, not because they supported us, but due to their assertion of being a resistance movement at the time”. He clarified, “I am referring to the leaders, not the entirety of Hamas. I am not acquainted with all members of Hamas. The faction that purportedly aligned with the resistance is the same entity that waved the flag of the French occupation of Syria. How can a group that proclaims to resist align itself with an occupying force stemming from the joint occupation by the United States, Turkey, and Israel? This occurred under the banner of a French occupying power.”
The head of the Syrian regime labelled this standpoint as a blend of betrayal and hypocrisy.
Qatar Finance
In the meantime, a recent BBC report has disclosed that Qatar has diminished its monetary assistance to Hamas as a result of the movement’s recent efforts to mend relations with the Syrian government.
An undisclosed source stated on Friday that the reduction in financial support is a direct consequence of the movement’s tangible steps toward reconciling with the Syrian government.
Salameh Maarouf, who oversees Hamas’ government media office, affirmed that the Qatari financial aid has indeed experienced a decrease in its monetary magnitude.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
