Hamas: An internal division or ending the resistance

Well-informed sources in Beirut expected that the process of transfer and transition will take place in a short period of time and will not exceed one month. In fact, this raises many questions about the future of Hamas in light of what is rumored behind-the-scenes about a Qatari-Palestinian agreement supported by Hamas politically and financially in return for abandoning the acts of resistance.

Sources close to Hamas in Beirut said to “Islam Times” that Hamas has ordered its crew in full to withdraw from its headquarters in the Syrian capital Damascus after both Turkey and Qatar imposed pressure on it; for about 90 percent of the crew of the movement are deployed in a number of the Arab countries and few are only remaining. This disturbed many of the cadres of the movement, which expressed their objection to the political direction that exists within the movement since the beginning of the Syrian crisis. Many of the movement’s leaders reject to adhere to these decisions in light of what is rumored about a Qatari- Turkish-Palestinian deal to end the acts of resistance and to push Hamas into the furtherance of the political action.

According to the informed sources, the movement- ordered by its senior leadership- ended its investments in Syria and withdrew its deposits in the Syrian banks and transferred them abroad, especially to Qatar; the place where Hamas is planning as a first step to open an office in support of the Chairman of Qatar directly. It is also waiting to extend this step to Jordan and Egypt, and the Qataris are said to control the movement within the Arab countries, being backed by Turkey and its material inducements that are extraordinary costly as described by the sources.

Despite the fact that Hamas’ leader Saleh Aruri denied the movement’s intention to leave Syria, but sources close to the movement in Beirut confirmed that the presence of Hamas in Damascus was about hundreds of officials as estimated, but today is about few dozens and the families of the officials totally left to avoid any emergency in Syria in the coming days, especially after the issuance of the first report of the Arab Monitoring Committee and what it will carry regarding continuing the Arab conspiracy or ending the so-called the Arab boycott.

The same sources revealed to “Islam Times” that sharp differences are taking place within the movement today between those who support what is adopted by the leadership that emphasizes that the movement would withdraw from Syria in the near future, and those who oppose this especially in Lebanon. Hamas representative in Beirut indicates that “The movement is committed to supporting al-Assad”, and this caused a disparity between the positions, and the said sources fear that this is the beginning of a new phase that could lead to the split of the movement if the news about what is heard behind the scenes was true regarding the fact that the Hamas movement might possibly leave the approach of resistant and that Haniyeh might possibly approve establishing a Palestinian state on the territories of the year 67?

Hamas so far did not find an assured alternative- as said by the informed sources - and the offers received by Hamas do not reach to the level of “supporting” Iran. Thus, it fears that it “would have no room for it anymore in the earth” after losing a “strong” ally represented by Syria, and nothing is guaranteed so far until seeing the outcome of the Qatari existing offers regarding the political return to Jordan and being embraced by Egypt in light of the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood would win the largest number of seats in the next parliament. However, it is certain that Qatar has promised the President of the Political Bureau, Khaled Meshaal, that it will do everything needed to entice Jordan to accept the transfer of the leadership of Hamas to Amman after it heard about the facilities, the relations, and the cooperation between the two countries and about providing the Kingdom with natural gas for free for a limited period of time with economic and financial assistance that reached to one billion dollars per year in return for agreeing to accept the presence of Hamas’ leaders on its land. This was confirmed indirectly by the Jordanian Prime Minister Awn Al-Khasawneh, who emphasized that his government intends to establish a constructive relationship with the leaders of Hamas and that “keeping them away was a mistake politically and constitutionally”.

The sources revealed that the President of the Political Bureau of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, would visit the capital of Jordan in the near future with the Qatari Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim to complete the deal, which its finishing points were set, awaiting the final expected touches that are said to be illuminated in Amman as soon as the meeting with the Jordanian monarch will be held. This comes in spite of the fact that the Saudi capital expressed its reservation on these arrangements that have not been preceded by cutting the ties of Hamas with the Republic of Iran before any expected opening on other Arab countries.

Hence, the sources told “Islam Times” that the next phase facing the Hamas movement is very sensitive in light of the division of the activists of the movement who are divided into two groups: the first is supporting what Haniyeh and the Qatari state are doing, while the second is rejecting these steps on the basis that what is being planned behind the scenes is to end Hamas’ acts of resistance. The Turkish and Qatari sides believe that “the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian cause” can only include the participation of Hamas in the process of the settlement”. This means that Hamas would engage in a dialogue with the Israelis, and thus the resisting movement will collapse. This is what the cadres of the movement fear; for this issue warns of consequences that could be difficultly avoided, in case the leadership continued its steps that are supporting the Qatari-Turkish approaches.