Hamas denies plan to move to Amman

A member of the Hamas political bureau has denied that the movement is planning to relocate its headquarters to Amman, the Jordanian newspaper Al-Sabeel claimed on Monday.

The former advisor to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, Dr Ahmed Yousef, told the media that Hamas is to discuss the issue with the government in Amman when Khaled Meshaal visits the Jordanian capital. This was denied by Izzat al-Reshiq, who insisted that it is “completely incorrect”.

Meshaal is the head of the political bureau. He and other Hamas leaders have been living in Doha since leaving Damascus following the start of the Syrian revolution. One mid-level Hamas official was killed in Syria.

Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu-Marzouq lives in Cairo. It is not clear whether Egypt will allow him to remain there after the ruling of an Egyptian court that Hamas is a “terrorist” organisation.

Al-Sabeel also quoted an anonymous senior official from Hamas as saying that Jordan does not have any plan to offer any initiative in order to mediate between Hamas and Fatah.