Just a week after Hamas agreed to reconcile with rival Palestinian faction Fatah and curb its relationship with Hezbollah — an agreement seen by many as a first step necessary to negotiate peace with Israel — Hamas' No. 2 leader traveled to Tehran to reinforce his group's solidarity with Iran and the anti-Israel "axis of resistance."
The Oct. 19 visit of a Hamas delegation led by Saleh Arouri to Tehran wasn’t just another visit representing the Palestinian movement, but rather marked a milestone in the relationship that has been revived in the past few months. It was an obvious declaration by the movement and its old-new allies in the Iran-led resistance axis that a new path is being drawn, and a new strategy for confrontation is being set.