In an unprecedented move, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) published Hamas’ condolences for the death of King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud on Jan. 23. In its statement, Hamas expressed sympathies to new King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud and the Saudi people.

On the evening of Jan. 25, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal offered his condolences to Majid al-Hassan, adviser to the Saudi Embassy in Qatar, and praised the Saudi role in supporting the Palestinian cause. The same day, a Hamas delegation headed by the movement’s representative in Lebanon, Ali Baraka, offered its condolences to the Saudi ambassador in Beirut, Ali Asiri.

Hamas seems to see the Saudi king's death as an opportunity to renew its ties with Saudi Arabia, which have been marred by tension and distance in recent months. This warming falls within the movement’s plan to benefit from "funeral diplomacy" in the Middle East to try to break the blockade imposed on it by the surrounding countries.

Hamas probably showed solidarity with Saudi Arabia on this sad occasion because Riyadh enjoys political and economic influence in the region and has powerful ties with Cairo and Washington.