What happened?

  • Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas political bureau, has been in Turkey for over 12 days, raising questions about whether the movement has temporarily relocated its headquarters from Doha to Ankara. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

  • Haniyeh arrived in Turkey on April 19, leading a delegation from Hamas, and met with the Turkish Foreign Minister to discuss a ceasefire and aid for Gaza. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

What is Arab media saying:

  • There has been no direct statement from either Qatar or Hamas regarding the doubts about the movement’s move from Doha, but pressure on Qatar’s role in mediation for a truce in Gaza, including prisoner swaps, has led to increasing criticisms. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

  • Reports indicate that Hamas leadership contacted at least two countries in the region, possibly Oman, about the idea of relocating its political leaders to their capitals, as the leaders in Qatar may not favor visiting Doha. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

  • Sources within Hamas stated that there is no intention to leave Qatar at the moment, but Ismail Haniyeh decided to stay in Turkey for an indefinite period due to his engagements and strained relations with Qatar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

  • Hamas faces complex choices due to its alliances and associated risks, with options including Iran, Lebanon, or Syria, each raising different challenges, and hosting Hamas in other Arab countries comes with risks as well. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

What is Israeli media saying:

  • There are speculations about a potential move of Hamas leadership from Doha to Ankara due to increasing pressure on Qatar to expel senior Hamas officials residing there. (Maariv)

  • Qatar prefers to distance itself from terrorist organizations, as reported by “Israel Hayom”. (Israel Hayom)

  • Hamas aims to avoid causing further embarrassment to Qatar and alleviate pressure on the country, with a recent visit to Istanbul to discuss Turkey’s role as a mediator and Ankara’s role post-war. (Maariv)

  • Senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzouk stated that Jordan will be the next destination for Hamas leaders if they leave Qatar, dismissing rumors about relocating to Syria, Iraq, or Turkey as mere pressure tactics on Qatar, and highlighting Jordan’s favorable stance towards the Palestinian resistance. (Maariv)

  • Erdogan offered Hamas to stay in Turkey. (Israel Hayom)

Sources: