Resheq: Hamas optimistic over the Qatari mediation mission in Palestine

A prominent political leader of Hamas Movement abroad has expressed optimism over the Qatari mediation mission in Palestine with the aim to bridge the gap between Palestinian factions to get out of the current political impasse.

In an exclusive statement to the PIC, member of the Movement’s political bureau Ezzat Al-Resheq affirmed that Qatari foreign minister Hamad Bin Jasem Al-Thani met with Hamas leaders in the Syrian capital Damascus, including Hamas’ supreme political leader Khaled Mishaal among other senior leaders.

He added that the meeting tackled a number of proposals suggesting the formation of a PA national government based on the agreed-upon national harmony document, especially after [failed] attempts made by certain leaders in Fatah faction to overthrow the current Hamas-led PA government.

“We support the Qatari initiative and deal with it with open minds and hearts”, said Resheq after hailing the Qatari step; but he stressed that the initiative wasn’t targeting the formation of a government of technocrats.

He further recalled that Qatar, Sudan, and Yemen had tried to convince PA chief Mahmoud Abbas to meet with Mishaal to solve the rift between Hamas and Fatah for the best of the Palestinian people; but, he explained, Abbas rejected such invitations.

Qatar was one of the main financial supporters of the current PA government with more than 50 million dollars extended so far, and was one of the countries that warmly welcomed representatives and ministers of the new PA government despite the US-led diplomatic embargo against the legitimate and democratic PA Hamas-led government.

Al-Thani is currently in Gaza city where he headed to meet with PA premier Ismail Haneyya after meeting Abbas in Ramallah city hours before, with hopes that he will succeed in bridging the gap between Hamas and Fatah, the two largest political groups in the Palestinian arena.

The Qatari mission comes at the peak of a political impasse currently witnessed in the Palestinian arena at the backdrop of Abbas’ announcement two weeks ago (after returning from a visit to Washington) of freezing all talks with Hamas pertaining to unity government.

The announcement of Abbas was accompanied with a number of mischievous acts carried out by Fatah armed groups and tens of elements of the PA security apparatuses in what was described then as a “mutiny” against the elected Palestinian people’s government.

Hamas won the PA legislative elections last January in what was described then as the most honest elections in the region, and became the largest political bloc in the Palestinian legislature that paved the way before it to form the new government.