Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, denied media reports regarding its claimed intentions to move its main office from Damascus to Tunisia due to the current situation in Syria.Member of the Political Bureau of Hamas, Salah Bardaweel, stated Saturday that the movement did not hold talks with any Arab country regarding moving its office out of Syria.
His statements came after several media outlets claimed that Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyya, currently visiting Tunisia, discussed with the Tunisian leadership the possibility of moving the Hamas bureau to the country due to the situation in Syria.
Arab League Secretary-General, Nabil Al- Arabi, announced that, during his Friday meeting with Mashal in Cairo, he asked Mashal to inform the Syrian government that it must implement that protocol of the Arab monitors who went to Syria by the Arab League.
Despite statements regarding not interfering in internal Syrian politics, the Hamas movement still enjoys good relations with the regime of the Syrian President, Bashar Asad.
Meanwhile, Secretary of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Yasser Abed-Rabbo, slammed the Hamas movement for acting “as a mediator in Syria”, and said that the PLO policy is based on refraining from interfering in internal politics of any country, and rejecting any foreign meddling in internal Palestinian politics.
Abed-Rabbo added that the stances of Mashal are directly related to the good relations between Hamas and the Syrian regime, and its relations with other regional powers.
But Al-Bardaweel of Hamas said that Hamas is mediating in the situation in Syria mainly due to the fact that thousands of Palestinians live there, and that the movement wants to ensure their well-being.
He also stated that Hamas does not interfere in internal politics of Arab countries, but added that Hamas has not protect its people and their interests.
