Riyadh- Palestinian sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that three Hamas leaders have been spending relentless efforts to restore the organization’s relationship with Iran.
Hamas had undergone disputes with Iran concerning standpoints taken on the Syria war. The Palestinian organization, unlike Iran, had widely supported the Syrian revolution against dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Sources revealed that Palestinian leader of Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Marwan Issa along with other military leaders like, Yehya al-Sinwar, Mahmoud al-Zahar, have maintained contact with Iran over the past period.
The three commanders had uninterruptedly received financial and military aid from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), exceeding 45 million dollars annually- noting that prior to dispute rising, Hamas’ military division received far more significant financial and military aid from Iran.
Sources revealed that internal friction strikes the Hamas organization with the group’s military division often being in disagreement with its political administration. The military wing looks forward to restoring connections with Iran and delivering them into a stronger state, guaranteeing the constant flow of funds.
On the other hand, Hamas’ political elite rely further on bolstering ties with Arab communities, being one itself. The Arab world cannot come to accept Hamas carrying on affiliation with Iran, after the latter’s militias and allies committing mass genocides against the people of Syria.
Moreover, should Hamas extend its tolerance towards crimes committed or backed by the Iranian regime, they would lose support of a large portion of the Muslim Arab world.
Hamas’ political entity sees that keeping the Turkey-Qatar custody plan over the organization is the best serving option.
In context, sources mentioned that Hamas party allies sent delegates to Damascus last month among which was Palestinian Popular Resistance Movement Secretary General Abu Qassem Daghmash.
Daghmash had reportedly met with Secretary General of the Syrian Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party. He also visited Lebanon, meeting with General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, who is known to hold close ties with the so-called Hezbollah party, and has played a major role in trying to clean up the group’s recent situation with Lebanon’s banks to reach an understanding post the U.S.-ordered measures.
The Hamas-Iran relationship was established three years post Hamas’ establishment, and was first conceived at the Tehran First Palestinian Intifada Support Conference in 1990. A year later, Iran opened an official branch office for the organization and appointed Imad Alalami as party representative in Iran.
Iran bolstered its ties with Hamas only after its relationship with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) subdued.
After Israel sent over 400 Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas leaders to exile in 1992, most of them moved to south of Lebanon. The leaders’ presence in Lebanon served as an extremely fertile ground for the organization to further nurture its ties with the IRGC, and establish new ties with its Lebanon proxy “Hezbollah.”
IRGC training of militants during their stay in Lebanon had played in favor of the Palestinian party restoring control over the Gaza Strip.
Analysts believe that the Iran, Syria and affiliated militias comprising Hamas, PIJ and “Hezbollah” forged alliance, anchored in Damascus, is the main orchestrator of Palestine’s regional and international orientation and agenda.