GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Hamas has launched a goodwill tour of sorts in the Middle East and Africa, seeking to boost ties and eventually reopen closed doors where the movement is labeled a terrorist group, particularly in the EU.
A delegation of Hamas’ Change and Reform parliamentary bloc left the Gaza Strip on Nov. 21 to visit legislative blocs and political parties in seven countries. The group, led by Mahmoud al-Zahar, arrived Nov. 23 in Istanbul, a source close to the delegation told Al-Monitor. The party discussed organizational matters with movement members there, including Hamas' leader abroad, Maher Salah.