8 Hamas, 'Islamic Jihad' Leaders Leave Gaza to Live Abroad

Palestinian group Hamas’ top leader, Ismail Haniyeh talks after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon June 28, 2021. (Reuters)
Palestinian group Hamas’ top leader, Ismail Haniyeh talks after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon June 28, 2021. (Reuters)
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8 Hamas, 'Islamic Jihad' Leaders Leave Gaza to Live Abroad

Palestinian group Hamas’ top leader, Ismail Haniyeh talks after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon June 28, 2021. (Reuters)
Palestinian group Hamas’ top leader, Ismail Haniyeh talks after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon June 28, 2021. (Reuters)

Senior leaders of Palestinian factions have left their homes in Gaza Strip and are currently living in luxury hotels in rich countries, together with their families, said intelligence sources in Israel.

According to a report by Yedioth Ahronoth, "From refugee camps to 5-star hotels," at least eight top figures from the Hamas movement and the "Islamic Jihad" left the enclave over the past year.

The first to take part in this exodus was Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ political leader abroad, who left his home in the Al-Shati Refugee Camp for the extravagant hotels in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Haniyeh justified his departure due to his candidacy for the leadership of Hamas - but the election ended a few months ago. He pressured Egyptian authorities to allow his wife and children to leave the Strip through the Rafah crossing, and they are currently living with him in opulence in Qatar, said the report.

Another key figure is Khalil al-Hayya, who until very recently served as the deputy of Hamas' leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar. He left the enclave several months ago after receiving a promotion as the group’s "head of Relations for Arab and Muslim Countries."

Just like Haniyeh, Hayyah managed to get his family out of Gaza and move to Doha.

Others on the list include Salah al-Bardawil, a senior member of the group who obtained permission to leave Gaza with his family for one year; Hamas' spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri and veteran diplomatic advisor and Haniyeh’s personal deputy Taher al-Nunu.

Doha is not the only destination, with Turkey becoming the new home of Hamas top figure Fathi Hamad.

In addition, two of the Islamic Jihad’s leaders in the Gaza Strip - Nafaz Azzam and Muhammad al-Hindi, also secretly left Gaza some time ago. Azzam is in Syria and probably also in Beirut, while al-Hindi has made Istanbul his new home.



Trump's Syria Policy Dominates Opening of 'Astana 22' Talks

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Trump's Syria Policy Dominates Opening of 'Astana 22' Talks

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

The 22nd round of the Astana peace talks on Syria kicked off in Kazakhstan’s capital on Monday. The talks, held over two days, brought together Syria’s government, opposition and guarantor states Russia, Iran and Türkiye, with observers from Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and the UN.

The talks, initiated by Russia and supported by Türkiye and Iran, will focus on key issues such as the potential shifts in US policy toward Syria under President-elect Donald Trump, according to Russian presidential envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev.

The talks will also address regional tensions, including the spread of the Gaza conflict into Lebanon, ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Syria and concerns over the risk of the regional conflict expanding further.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stressed the importance of meeting before the end of the year to set priorities for Syria and the region.

This comes after the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed a “secret” Russian-Syrian agreement to limit the movement of Hezbollah, Iranian forces and Iranian-backed militias in Syria.

As well as the Syrian conflict, the talks will cover issues such as prisoner releases, missing persons, humanitarian conditions, international support for peace efforts, Syria’s reconstruction and the return of refugees.

The current round of talks will focus on the political and military situation around Syria.

Lavrentiev said Russia will do everything possible to prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading to Syria.

Potential changes in US policy toward Syria under Trump are a major topic for discussion among the ceasefire guarantors, he added. Russia will focus on concrete actions and proposals, rather than just statements, especially as expectations grow that Trump will follow through on his pledge to withdraw US troops from Syria.

This move could shift the balance of power and affect the actions of various parties. The withdrawal is a key demand for Russia, Iran and Türkiye, the three guarantor states of the Astana process.