After Hamas had been absent from Arab officials’ media statements, supporting and opposing Arab officials issued several political statements during the last week of February, prompting Hamas to respond with both positive and negative statements. Hamas has been seeking to stay away from the tension plaguing the region, but the Palestinian cause seems to form an integral part of the regional disputes.
During a conference in the Gaza Strip on Feb. 25, Mohammed al-Emadi, Qatar’s ambassador to Gaza and the chairman of Qatar's Gaza Reconstruction Committee, blamed the Palestinian Authority, Egypt and Israel for the worsening economic situation in Gaza. Following Emadi's arrival in Gaza on Feb. 19, Hamas lauded Qatar's positions and assistance to the Palestinian people.
