The 37th anniversary of the Hamas terrorist organization’s founding on Dec. 10 came during a period of decline due to defeats in Gaza and the broader region, a senior Hamas official based in Turkey told Saudi media.
“Hamas is suffering from a genuine leadership crisis,” the official said. “The Al-Aqsa Flood [Oct. 7, 2023], attack backfired on us, submerging us in a sea of blood and crises. The most recent blow was the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria, with which Hamas had been attempting to rebuild relations.”
The Syrian government, according to a report by the Saudi news site Elaph, has ordered Palestinian terrorist groups to shut down their offices, hand over their weapons, dismantle training camps and leave Syria as soon as possible. The primary Palestinian group active in Syria has been Islamic Jihad.
In contrast, Hamas’s political bureau left Syria earlier due to its support for Islamist rebels at the start of the civil war there, which sparked a rift with Assad.
Despite this, Elaph reported that senior Hamas official Mohammed Nasser was forced to flee Syria before rebels captured Damascus. Similarly, Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhalah and leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine—General Command (PFLP-GC) terrorist organization also had to leave the country.
Al-Nakhalah recently visited Cairo with a delegation from Islamic Jihad, holding discussions with senior Egyptian intelligence officials about ongoing negotiations for a prisoner exchange deal. He was accompanied by his deputy, Mohammed al-Hindi.
Elaph further reported that it is believed senior leaders of Palestinian terrorist organizations have relocated to Tehran. However, it is expected that they will seek other host countries due to fears of targeted killings in Iran, as happened to Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political bureau chief.
The Hamas official reiterated that the organization’s leadership is currently directionless, stating, “Gaza has been completely destroyed.” He expressed hope that a prisoner exchange deal might slightly alleviate the leadership’s dire circumstances.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Hamas leaders operating from Doha have been instructed to maintain a low profile. They have been asked to halt gatherings and refrain from engaging with journalists outside Qatar. Additionally, foreign delegation visits have reportedly been suspended.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
