Many questions have recently been raised about Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal's conspicuous absence of more than two months. He did not visit an Arab capital or appear on television, including on Al Jazeera, which is only a few meters from his headquarters and residence. He finally broke his silence on Sept. 23 with a surprise appearance on Al Jazeera.
Meshaal’s disappearance led to speculation in the realm of politics as well as in the media. The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is close to Hezbollah, reported that Meshaal was experiencing trying circumstances in Doha, the Qatari capital. This situation, according to the paper, drove him to seriously contemplate leaving the city in favor of the Sudanese capital of Khartoum or perhaps Beirut or Tehran. Izzat al-Rishq, spokesman for Hamas’ external bureau, flatly denied such reports. According to him, Meshaal’s residence in Qatar has not changed nor has that of the rest of the Hamas leadership. He described the reports on the matter as propaganda designed to harm Hamas.
