It seems Hamas’ political leadership has been significantly preoccupied and politically active since July, working to rebuild its relationships in the region to overcome its isolation.

Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas’ political bureau, received Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Aug. 3 in Doha, Qatar, and discussed developments regarding the Palestinian cause, as well as the general situation in the region. Hamas issued an official statement the same day, noting that Meshaal and Lavrov tackled Gaza’s circumstances since the Israeli war in 2014, in addition to Israeli assaults on Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. Lavrov extended an official invitation to Meshaal to visit Moscow.

Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan told Al-Monitor, “The Meshaal-Lavrov meeting shows Russia’s interest in the Palestinian cause and comes as a continuation of the periodic meetings held by Hamas with regional and international parties. However, there were no discussions in the meeting regarding the possibility of Russia playing the role of a mediator to reactivate the reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, although Lavrov and Meshaal have stressed its importance in general.”

Hamas feels it has achieved a significant diplomatic advancement by meeting with Lavrov and receiving an official invitation to Moscow, which it sees as a practical response to the Western policy of ignoring Hamas since the movement won the legislative elections in 2006. This is what a number of political analysts close to Hamas, including Jawad al-Hamad, spoke of on Aug. 16.