NYN | News
Palestinian journalist and political analyst Abdul Bari Atwan quoted “sources in Hamas” as saying that the movement’s leadership has not faced pressure from Qatar to relocate its political office from Doha.
According to Atwan, the sources in Hamas, whom he described as “first-rate,” confirmed that “there is no pressure from Qatar on the movement’s leadership to leave Doha and relocate its headquarters, and there is absolutely no discussion from the Qatari side regarding hosting the leadership of Hamas.”
He said, “If there ever were pressures on our Qatari brothers, we would thank them for their hospitality, and we have already decided that the destination will definitely be Sana’a, with Mr. Abdul Malik al-Houthi,” as Atwan spoke in a video clip posted on his social media accounts.
Last Saturday, Reuters quoted “an official familiar with an assessment conducted by the Qatari government” as saying that it is possible for Hamas’s office in Doha to be closed as part of a “broader review of Qatar’s mediation role in the war between Israel and Hamas.”
The official explained, according to Reuters, “The Gulf state is considering whether to allow Hamas to continue operating its political office, and the broader review includes considering whether Qatar will continue to mediate the ongoing conflict for nearly seven months.”
According to the agency, “the official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that if Qatar does not play a mediation role, there would be no benefit in keeping Hamas’s political office there, so this is part of the reassessment.” He mentioned that “he does not know if Qatar will ask Hamas to leave Doha if the Qatari government decides to close the movement’s office.”
It also noted that “The Washington Post, in a report, quoted an unnamed US official as saying that Washington asked Doha to expel Hamas if the movement continues to reject a ceasefire agreement with Israel.”
Meanwhile, Ansar Allah movement (the Houthis) renewed its readiness to host leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” and other Palestinian faction leaders.
Member of the political bureau of the movement, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, wrote on the “Ex” platform: “Sana’a is honored to host the political office of Hamas no matter what the consequences, even if the sky falls to the ground,” commenting on Qatar’s review of its role as a mediator in the Gaza war, including the closure of Hamas’s political office.
On April 20th, the Houthis expressed their readiness to receive Hamas leaders coinciding with reports by international media about “American pressure on Doha to end its hosting of the movement’s leaders.”
