Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas' political bureau, has been in Turkey for more than 12 days, raising questions about whether the movement has temporarily moved its headquarters from Doha to Ankara. Reports and leaks about moving the movement's offices out of Qatar and statements by movement leaders about possible locations if the movement decides to continue operations.
Haniyeh arrived in Turkey on April 19, at the head of Hamas' leadership team, and met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. He once again denied that this had happened without any confirmation.
Apart from Israel's repeated attacks on Qatar as a sponsor of the Tel Aviv movement, there has been no clear direct decision or announcement from either Qatar or Hamas on the reasons for the outbreak of suspicion about the movement's withdrawal from Doha. considers it “terrorist,” and US officials and congressional representatives have approached Doha, saying, in their opinion, it “has not exerted the necessary pressure to reach an exchange agreement with Israel.” Demands have sometimes escalated to the point of calling for severing ties with Doha.
Qatar came under attack by announcing that it was “frustrated by the parties' lack of seriousness and does not accept the exploitation of its role as a mediator for political posturing, so it is reassessing its role”. Mediator,” allowed leaks, reports and analysis of Qatar's intentions to “offload Hamas” before The Wall Street Journal published last month that Hamas' political leadership was indeed seeking to move its headquarters outside of Qatar. .”
Citing Arab sources, the newspaper said, “The movement's leadership has contacted at least two countries in the region, one of which is the Sultanate of Oman, about whether they are open to the idea of its political leaders visiting their capitals.”
Hamas leaders have lived in the Qatari capital Doha since 2012 in a US-backed arrangement. Pressure is mounting on Doha over its mediation of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that includes the return of prisoners, the US newspaper reported.
According to identical Hamas sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsad, it “has no intention of leaving Qatar and has not been asked to do so, and the leadership of this movement is in Qatar.” She does not enjoy a good relationship with Qatar because of her constant meetings and meetings with Arab parties, so she does not want to go to Doha, nor is she welcome there, sources said.
According to other sources close to Hamas, “Haniyev's presence in Turkey aims to discuss the Turkish role the movement envisions in relation to the future (after the war) and to engage in broader political activities.” Sources Asharq Al-Awsat said, “This is possible in the context of easing pressure on Qatar as Hamas does not want to cause further embarrassment.” Sources in the movement said: “Hamas wants to leave if it considers its presence there to embarrass the Qataris.”
If Hamas does not want to leave Qatar now, what are its plans if forced to do so?
However, the strangest statement regarding the new target came from Hamas leader Musa Abu Marzouk, who said Jordan would be the place for the movement's leaders to settle if they leave Qatar. The statement came a few days ago, during an interview he conducted with the Iranian Al-Alam TV channel, in which he touched on rumors about the possibility of Hamas moving to Syria, Iraq or Turkey, which he denied, saying, “It's all just to put pressure on the Qataris.
He added: “If Hamas leaves Qatar, it will go to Amman because Jordan has hospitable and generous people who support the Palestinian resistance, and we have good relations with the Jordanian regime.” Two days ago, he insisted that his country considered the statements “provocation,” adding that Jordan had “turned to running the offices of the Palestinian phalanx” and that it “acts as the sole legitimate representative of the national authority. The Palestinian people.”
Asharq al-Awsad asked a source within Hamas about Abu Marzouk's statements, and he admitted that they at Hamas “don't understand” why Abu Marzouk said that.
According to the source, “Perhaps he wanted to say that the option of moving to the axis represented by (Iran, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon) is not on the table or possible.” But why can't we go to Iran, Syria or Iraq? The source replied: “It would be tantamount to political suicide… Obviously, the issue is complex.”
Of course, there are countries that could have been targets of Hamas before the attack on Israel on October 7, but are no longer relevant because the movement needs a large country that it can protect from Israel, or at least Israel is not a threat. This movement is now being fought hard by America and the world, and conducting it involves a lot of adventure.
Looking at the movement's alliances or good relations illustrates the complexity of its preferences. On the one hand, it could easily go to Iran or southern Lebanon, but that would make it hostage to a certain axis, and expose its leaders to assassination.
If Hamas wants to move to Turkey, it clashes with its previous experience, the latter asking some of the movement's leaders to leave or stay out of political and institutional activity.
A return to Syria is one option, but Syria has not condoned the move, despite opening the door to Iranian intervention and restoration of ties with Lebanese Hezbollah.
In addition, Hamas has good relations with Arab countries, but running the movement without a green light from the United States is often not dangerous, nor are they large and influential countries, and the presence of Hamas will make the movement. Far away from the centers of decision-making.
Despite its difficulty; The last and at the same time, remote option is the return of the leadership of the movement to Gaza, but this depends on “how the war ends”? “Where will Hamas be in the (next day) wars?
