Hezbollah Mediates between Hamas,Iran

Ramallah- Informed Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah has started a new mediation between Iran and Hamas movement, aiming at improving ties; especially after Islamic State failed in its recent attempts to convince Hamas to back it in its conflict with Saudi Arabia in return for the resumption of full financial assistance.

According to sources, Deputy Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, has invited Deputy Chairman of Hamas Political Bureau, Mousa Abu Marzook to visit Lebanon in order to meet top Iranian officials, including members in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, who frequently visit Beirut to coordinate with the party on the operations in Syria.

Sources said that Abu Marzook will likely accept Qassem’s invitation, but no date has been yet set for a meeting, especially after Hamas’s decision to avoid striking alliances in the region, mainly against Sunni states.

Abu Marzook will most probably inform Hezbollah and Iranian officials that Hamas welcomes “unconditional financial support” as it will not declare any new stance on Syrian situation or against Saudi Arabia.

The meeting is expected to be held in Lebanon after the end of reconciliation meetings between Fatah and Hamas, probably early next month in Qatar.

Nevertheless, Hezbollah has chosen to invite Abu Marzook precisely because the latter carried out many discussions with Iranian officials in Lebanon to boost relations; thus, allowing new bridges to extend between Tehran and Hamas after relations were completely cut off due Hamas’s stance on Syrian crisis.

Hezbollah’s new attempts have come in light of the continued conflicts between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Iran’s attempts to benefit from the support of Sunni stances after it failed in persuading Hamas to do so in the meetings that took place in Tehran between the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif and Hamas representative there, Khaled al-Qaddumi.