Hamas re-establishes relations with Syria
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A delegation of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) met on Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a meeting that the Islamist group, which controls the Gaza Strip, described as “positive and historic”, as it represents the restoration of relations with Damascus.
The relationship of the then leader of the Palestinian militia, Khaled Meshaal, with the Syrian president, Bashar al Assad, based on his enmity towards Israel, cracked when Damascus began the repression in March 2011 against the opposition movements. In February 2012, Hamas decided to close its office in the Syrian capital and left the country.
The head of the Office of Arab and Islamic Relations, Jalil al Hayya, said at a press conference that this meeting “represents a new beginning for joint Palestinian-Syrian action” and a “new addition to the Axis of Resistance,” according to a statement from the formation itself.
“It is an important day, and we will resume our presence in Syria and joint work with the Palestinian forces and Damascus in support of our cause and the unity and stability of Syria,” he explained, adding that the past must be corrected to avoid the same problems in the future.
The meeting comes after a group of Palestinian organizations, including Hamas and the Fatah Movement, signed a declaration in Algiers to promote “national unity” and end the Palestinian political division in the presence of Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebune.
At the meeting, the Algerian president met with Abbas and the leader of the political wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Ismail Haniya, the first such meeting in the last 15 years.
The 2006 elections and the victory of Hamas at the polls caused the international community to cut off its aid to the Palestinian authorities, which led the two factions to clashes that ended with the administrative separation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Since then, Fatah controls the West Bank – despite not having won the elections – and Hamas is in charge of the Gaza Strip, with no elections having been held since then. In fact, the Islamist group does not recognize the authority of Abbas, whose mandate expired without him being succeeded as head of the Palestinian Authority.
The contacts of the Palestinian faction have also been made towards the Iranian side. Thus, in September 2020, the secretary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah party-militia, Hassan Nasrallah, and the leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, met in Beirut and reiterated their commitment to the Axis of Resistance, in which Iran also participates.