DAMASCUS, Syria, (AP) – Jimmy Carter has arrived in Syria where he is due to meet the political leader of the militant Palestinian Hamas group.

The former U.S. president’s visit comes a day after he met several Hamas leaders in Egypt and said he had asked them to stop rocket attacks into Israel.

Carter also is scheduled to meet Friday with Syrian President Bashar Assad before holding talks with Hamas’ exiled political chief Khaled Mashaal. He also plans to meet with Syrian businessmen.

Carter’s meetings with Hamas have drawn sharp criticism from Israelis, U.S. officials. Washington lists Hamas as a terrorist group.