by WorldTribune Staff, July 18, 2017
Hamas has approached Algeria about the possibility of replacing Qatar as the headquarters for the terror organization’s officials abroad, a report said.
After Qatari authorities, saying they were driven by “external pressures,” decided to expel several Hamas members, the terror organization asked Algeria to take in some of its leaders, i24news reported on July 17, citing the London-based Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper.
The current crisis between Qatar and its Gulf state neighbors over its alignment with Iran and policies enabling terrorism has prompted Hamas to seek to spread its leadership throughout a number of countries, Al-Sharq al-Awsat said.
According to the report, Hamas has sought to distribute its leadership among Lebanon, Malaysia, Turkey, and most recently Algeria.
Hamas is looking to Algeria to absorb its spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri, who is already currently residing in the country, and to transfer some of its senior members there after Abu Zuhri establishes an office in the capital, the report said, adding that Algeria has yet to respond to the request.
Qatar is also currently dealing with a boycott with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE, all of which severed diplomatic ties with Qatar over accusations it sponsors terrorism, including Hamas.
Qatar’s Foreign Minister has rejected the claim that Hamas is a terrorist organization, while the country’s envoy to Gaza recently said Doha was committed to funding projects in the Hamas-run enclave, despite pressure from the countries that boycotted it.
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