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Hamas Decides to Restore Syria Ties

Hamas decides to restore relations with Syria after 10 years of interruption (Reuters)
Hamas decides to restore relations with Syria after 10 years of interruption (Reuters)
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Hamas Decides to Restore Syria Ties

Hamas decides to restore relations with Syria after 10 years of interruption (Reuters)
Hamas decides to restore relations with Syria after 10 years of interruption (Reuters)

A decade after breaking relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad and decamping from Damascus, Hamas is in talks to resume ties with Syria, according to a source in the Gaza-ruling group.

“The return of relations was part of discussions that took place for years with Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah,” the Hamas source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“Hamas insisted that it was neutral and did not interfere, and gave positive indications to all mediators, and also obtained positive indications from Syria,” the source added.

According to the source, Hamas resuming ties with Damascus is not a matter that hasn’t been discussed before.

Speaking under the conditions of anonymity, the source added that the decision has been made over 10 months ago.

The decision was taken considering the many shifts that have taken place, especially a change of leadership within Hamas itself, the source explained.

The source’s remarks hint at the rise and domination of the Hamas wing closest to Syria and Iran.

A similar report by Reuters confirmed that Hamas has decided to restore ties with Syria, 10 years after its leadership shunned Damascus over opposition to Assad's crackdown on a revolt against his rule.

The Reuters report is based on two sources within Hamas speaking to the news wire.

One official who asked not to be named said the two sides have held several "high-profile meetings to achieve that goal."

A Syrian official did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Hamas leaders had publicly endorsed the revolt aimed at overthrowing Assad's dynastic rule and left their Damascus headquarters. That angered their common ally, Iran.

Hamas's ties with Iran were later restored and officials of the Palestinian faction praised Tehran for help with building their Gaza arsenal of long-range rockets, which they used in fighting Israel.

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Lebanon Arrests ‘Parent Group’ Behind Rocket Launches toward Israel

Lebanese Army soldiers search a car at a checkpoint. (Directorate of Guidance) 
Lebanese Army soldiers search a car at a checkpoint. (Directorate of Guidance) 
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Lebanon Arrests ‘Parent Group’ Behind Rocket Launches toward Israel

Lebanese Army soldiers search a car at a checkpoint. (Directorate of Guidance) 
Lebanese Army soldiers search a car at a checkpoint. (Directorate of Guidance) 

The Lebanese Army has arrested members of what is believed to be the “parent group” behind recent rocket launches toward Israel, security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The group was apprehended by Military Intelligence in a raid as they were preparing to fire rockets from southern Lebanon, in what appears to be part of a larger, coordinated campaign.

According to investigators, the detainees confessed to carrying out two rocket attacks in March—one launched from the area between Kfartebnit and Arnoun, and the second from Qaaqaiyat al-Jisr, both in the Nabatieh district. The projectiles were intercepted by Israeli defenses before reaching their intended targets in Metula and Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel.

The army announced Sunday that it had seized a number of rockets and launchers in a raid on an apartment in the Sidon-Zahrani area, and arrested several individuals involved in the planned operation. The military said the bust followed extensive surveillance and intelligence-gathering.

Security sources said the volume of weapons recovered suggests a larger logistical operation designed to supply multiple attacks. The cache included enough rockets and launch platforms to sustain repeated launches, rather than a single strike. The weapons were found stored in a residential area in the town of Aqtnit, in the Zahrani region near Sidon.

Investigators believe the cell is part of a broader Palestinian network operating in the South. The arrests were reportedly aided by information obtained from earlier detainees and ongoing surveillance. The sources confirmed that the suspects are now under questioning, with investigations being conducted under judicial supervision.

Following the March attacks, army units intensified security operations in areas north of the Litani River and ramped up monitoring of Palestinian camps, particularly Ain al-Hilweh and Rashidieh. Access to and from the camps has been placed under tighter scrutiny. The Lebanese Army is also said to be cooperating with Hezbollah in some areas, particularly along the southern frontier.

Military sources emphasized that the army’s actions reflect Lebanon’s continued commitment to implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for the disarmament of all non-state actors south of the Litani and reserves military authority to the state.

The arrest operation has been met with praise from Lebanese political and military circles, who see it as a reaffirmation of the state’s authority and a message to the international community that Lebanon remains committed to preventing escalation with Israel.