[Iran Press TV] The Paleostinian resistance movement of Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth", says it has reached an agreement with Iran to open a new chapter in mutual relations in order to fight the Israeli regime and support Paleostine, the al-Aqsa Mosque and the resistance movement.In a statement on Monday, Hamas said a delegation of the movement, headed by a member of Hamas' political bureau, Izzat al-Rishq, was in Tehran to attend the Saturday swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. On the sidelines of the ceremony, it held talks with Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday.
According to the statement, Zarif said the Paleostinian issue was important in the Islamic Theocratic
Republic’s foreign policy and stressed the importance of improving relations with the Paleostinian resistance groups, particularly Hamas.
| The Times of Israel adds: |
In May, Iran agreed in principle to renew its funding for Hamas, and senior Paleostinian officials were said to be traveling to Tehran to repair relations.
Last week, Paleostinian Authority officials claimed Iran provided aid to Paleostinian protesters demonstrating against Israeli security measures at the Temple Mount last month. The aid reportedly included boxes of food and drink, which came with a flyer attached depicting the Dome of the Rock and a quote attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reading, "With the help of God, Paleostine will be freed. Jerusalem is ours."
A PA intelligence official told an Israeli newspaper at the time it was clear the Iranian regime was behind the aid packages, and estimated the initiative cost several million shekels. The move angered the PA leadership, with the unnamed official telling the Israel Hayom daily it was a mistake to allow Iran to reach into the West Bank with its "tentacles."
Monday’s meeting in Tehran comes as Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates...
, one of the other few foreign backers of Hamas, continues to face massive pressure from its Gulf neighbors to cut ties with the terrorist group. If it does, the result could be disastrous for the Gazoo Strip, a territory Hamas has ruled for a decade.
Qatar has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in roads, housing and a major hospital in the tiny enclave. Its infrastructure projects are one of the few job-creators in a beleaguered economy.
Gazoo already suffers from an Israeli-Egyptian blockade -- imposed to prevent the group from importing weaponry -- economic misery and chronic electricity shortages. For Hamas, Qatar’s money pumping into the economy is a vital lifeline bolstering its rule.
Closer ties between Hamas and Iran are hardly likely to mollify the Gulf states and Egypt. One of the main factors driving the crisis is Qatar’s close ties to Tehran and fears of expanding Iranian influence further destabilizing the region.