How Hamas is looking to boost foreign ties

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Hamas' foreign relations chief Osama Hamdan revealed that several weeks ago in Qatar, the movement's leadership met a delegation of high-ranking European diplomats. He expressed optimism about a European decision to strike Hamas from its list of terrorist organizations.

In a telephone interview from Beirut, Hamdan, one of Hamas’ emerging political leaders, said the movement seeks to mend ties with Iran after they had significantly deteriorated in recent years. He discussed the frosty relations between Hamas and Saudi Arabia and revealed that a Hamas leadership delegation is getting ready to visit Egypt soon.

The text of Al-Monitor’s interview with Hamdan, a former Hamas representative in Iran and Lebanon, follows:

Al-Monitor:  Twenty-nine years after of the founding of Hamas, would you give us a brief overview of its regional and international relations?