Iran plays Hamas card
Iran's improved relations with Turkey, Qatar and Hamas send a message to the region.
Hamas leader cites "breakthrough" in Syria crisis
Hamas appears to be throwing in its lot with Iran, a trend that has accelerated since the US-Saudi-Islamic summit in May, when US President Donald Trump lumped the Islamic Resistance Movement with the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Hezbollah.
The shift may signal the increased influence of the hard-line Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the militant armed wing of Hamas, as well as fallout from the Saudi-United Arab Emirates-Egypt-Bahrain dispute with Qatar and the emergence of a regional consensus, including a meeting of minds between Iran and Turkey, to deal with the Syria war.
According to Adnan Abu Amer, al-Qassam Brigades leaders suggested creating a political and security vacuum in the Gaza Strip to force Israel’s hand to either deal with Hamas or deal with the consequences of chaos on its border. Negotiations with Egypt and former Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, brokered by the UAE, have slowed in recent weeks. These talks have included discussions of a prisoner exchange with Israel, which also appear to have stalled, Shlomi Eldar reports.
