Report: Iran to Renew Funding to Hamas
The Arab paper Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Tehran has agreed to renew its financial aid to Hamas. Relations between the two sides have been tense since the beginning of the conflict in Syria in 2011
IsraelDefense
| 30/05/2017
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meets with Palestinian political leader, Ismail Haniyeh (Photo: AP)
Iran has agreed in principle to renew its funding for the Hamas terror group, according to a report published in Asharq Al-Awsat Tuesday.
Palestinian officials told Asharq al-Awsat that Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Gaza-based terror group, will visit Tehran in the near future to bridge gaps between the parties and resolve old disagreements.
The deal to restore Hamas’s financial support came after marathon meetings in Lebanon between officials from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hamas, and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror group, the report said.
Relations between Iran and Hamas have been rocky since the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in 2011 when the Palestinian terror organization came out against Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is backed by Tehran.
The report also said Iran wanted Haniyeh to be the new head of Hamas, and would have refused to work with the terror organization had former deputy head Moussa Abu Marzouk won the elections earlier this month.
Tuesday’s report said that as part of the agreement to restore payments, Iran waived an earlier demand for Hamas to declare its support for Tehran in its struggle against Saudi Arabia.
The Palestinian sources added that Iran views the new agreement with Hamas as an opportunity to build a strong Sunni alliance as it continues its fight against the Gulf states, the Palestinian Authority, and other regional foes.
[Source: The Times of Israel]
The Arab paper Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Tehran has agreed to renew its financial aid to Hamas. Relations between the two sides have been tense since the beginning of the conflict in Syria in 2011
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meets with Palestinian political leader, Ismail Haniyeh (Photo: AP)
Iran has agreed in principle to renew its funding for the Hamas terror group, according to a report published in Asharq Al-Awsat Tuesday.
Palestinian officials told Asharq al-Awsat that Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Gaza-based terror group, will visit Tehran in the near future to bridge gaps between the parties and resolve old disagreements.
The deal to restore Hamas’s financial support came after marathon meetings in Lebanon between officials from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hamas, and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror group, the report said.
Relations between Iran and Hamas have been rocky since the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in 2011 when the Palestinian terror organization came out against Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is backed by Tehran.
The report also said Iran wanted Haniyeh to be the new head of Hamas, and would have refused to work with the terror organization had former deputy head Moussa Abu Marzouk won the elections earlier this month.
Tuesday’s report said that as part of the agreement to restore payments, Iran waived an earlier demand for Hamas to declare its support for Tehran in its struggle against Saudi Arabia.
The Palestinian sources added that Iran views the new agreement with Hamas as an opportunity to build a strong Sunni alliance as it continues its fight against the Gulf states, the Palestinian Authority, and other regional foes.
[Source: The Times of Israel]
