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Hamas refutes claims of reconciliation with Dahlan

March 10, 2014 at 3:10 pm

The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas has refuted claims of a possible reconciliation with former Fatah member Mohamed Dahlan and urged the Palestinian public not to believe everything they hear in the media. Palestinian media, including Hamas affiliated media channels, had claimed that there were efforts to reconcile Hamas in Gaza and Dahlan, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council who is known for his bad relationship with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).


The Quds news agency also quoted Mahmoud Al-Zahar, a leading member of Hamas, commenting on his movement’s relations with Egypt and Iran on Sunday. Al-Zahar said that despite “Egypt’s continued efforts to demonise the Hamas movement, the two [continue to] communicate on different issues.”

When asked about the movement’s relations with countries supporting Gaza, most notably the Islamic Republic of Iran, Al-Zahar replied that: “Iran is busy with its own internal affairs, especially as there is a new president and a new government. Moreover, it is impossible to travel outside Gaza, which obstructs the movement’s efforts to communicate with the outside world and Iran alike.”

The Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen news channel, known for its close ties with Hezbollah, has reported on several occasions that Iran is making efforts to restore its relations with Hamas, following their disagreement over Hamas’s decision to support the Syrian revolutionary uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, after which Hamas had to leave the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Al-Zahar also commented on the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, saying that: “The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his team are responsible for releasing themselves from the closed-circuit they have entrapped themselves in.” He urged Abu Mazen to seek support from the Palestinian people or to continue with the negotiations and pay the price for signing any agreement that undermines their rights.