Persian Realm

Israel kills Hamas military chief

Israel kills Hamas military chief (bbc)

The head of the military wing of the Islamist group Hamas is killed in Gaza City as an Israeli offensive against the Palestinian territory begins.

Hamas holds anti-Abbas protests in Gaza

Hamas holds anti-Abbas protests in Gaza (cnn)

• NEW: A PLO official accuses Hamas of sabotaging efforts for U.N. status as a non-member state
• Hamas protesters say President Abbas abandoned a demand for a "right of return"
• Abbas says he did not, and that he was only speaking for himself
• Israeli PM Netanyahu says if Abbas is serious, peace talks could start today

Qatar ruler set for key Gaza trip

Qatar ruler set for key Gaza trip (bbc)

Qatar's ruler is set to arrive in Gaza, making him the first head of state to visit since the Hamas Islamist movement took control in 2007.

Jordan appoints Israel ambassador after two-year break

Jordan's King Abdullah has appointed a new ambassador to Israel, filling a post that has been vacant for two years, officials have said.

Walid Obeidat was sworn in by the king at a brief ceremony late on Monday.

Jordan fought alongside other neighbouring Arab states in a series of military conflicts against Israel between 1948 and 1973, but in 1994 the two countries signed a peace treaty.

Mr Obeidat will present his credentials to Israeli President Shimon Perez in Jerusalem next week, according to the Jordanian embassy.

Hamas justice system 'abusive' a pressure group says

The criminal justice system overseen by the Islamist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip is responsible for "serious abuses", a pressure group says.

Hamas condemns Palestinian official's Auschwitz visit

A spokesman for Palestinian militant movement Hamas condemns a visit by a Palestinian official to the site of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz.

Egypt president meets Hamas PM

Egypt's President Mohammed Mursi discusses "solutions" to the blockade of Gaza at talks with the head of the Hamas-led government, Ismail Haniya.

Hamas member 'assassinated' in Syrian capital Damascus

Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas says one of its members has been assassinated in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Hamas 'ready for Israel truce'

Hamas's military wing says it is ready to agree to an Egyptian-brokered truce with Israel after days of fighting, so long as Israel complies.

Abdullah seeking divorce from Palestinians

Hamas hangs three Gaza prisoners accused of spying for Israel

Traumatised Syrians flee to Jordan

Fleeing to Jordan (bbc)

There is mounting pressure on the Syrian government to suspend its attacks and allow humanitarian aid to enter the besieged towns of Homs, Deraa and Idlib. As government forces continue their bombardment of opposition held towns, thousands of Syrians have fled the fighting into neighbouring countries, including Jordan, from where Wyre Davies reports. 

Hamas denies being Iran's proxy

Hamas denies being Iran's proxy (bbc)

Leaders of the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas, say they will not help Iran militarily in any conflict between Israel and the Islamic Republic.

There is speculation in Israel that if it attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, it could face rocket fire from Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Both are long-time allies of Iran.

But Mahmoud Zahhar, a senior leader of Hamas in Gaza, denied the group would get involved and told the BBC: "We are not part of any political axis."

"If Israel attacks us we will respond. If they don't, we will not get involved in any other regional conflict," he added.

Mr Zahhar questioned Hamas's ability to offer support from the Palestinian territory to the south of Israel, even if it wanted to.

"Don't exaggerate our power. We are still suffering from the occupation, the siege and two wars in recent years," he said.

Israel tightened its blockade of Gaza in 2007 after Hamas seized control of the territory from forces loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah movement.

UK minister in Jordan over Abu Qatada

Talks in Jordan over the deportation of Abu Qatada have been "positive", Home Secretary Theresa May has said.

But she is seeking further assurances no evidence obtained via torture will be used against the radical cleric, who faces terror charges in Jordan.

A UK judge ended Abu Qatada's six-year detention after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) blocked his deportation to the country last month.

The 51-year-old was released from jail on strict bail conditions.

They impose on him a 22-hour curfew, allowing him to leave home for a maximum of an hour, twice a day.

Hamas Leader: "Iranians not happy with our position on Syria"

Mr Abu Marzouk told the Associated Press on Sunday that Hamas still had offices in Syria, but acknowledged that "practically, we are no longer in Syria because we could not practice our duties there".

"Our position on Syria is that we are not with the regime in its security solution, and we respect the will of the people," he added.

He said Hamas wanted to keep its ties with Iran, but stood up to the government in Tehran in refusing to publicly support President Assad.

"The Iranians are not happy with our position on Syria, and when they are not happy, they don't deal with you in the same old way."

A member of the Hamas political bureau recently said Iran had been the main financial supporter of the Hamas government in Gaza, and that without Iranian money it would not be able to pay its 45,000 employees.

Hamas declares support for Syrian protesters

Hamas declares support for protesters (CNN)

Jerusalem (CNN) -- In a change in policy, the leaders of the Syrian-backed Islamic militant group Hamas declared their support Friday for anti-government protesters in Syria.

Speaking at Cairo's al-Azhar Mosque, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, told worshipers, "I salute the Syrian people who strive toward freedom, democracy and reform."

The message was echoed in Hamas-controlled Gaza. 

• "I salute the Syrian people," Hamas prime minister says
• Public support for anti-government protesters represents an about-face for Hamas
• Militant group has received support from al-Assad regime

Hamas 'will never recognise Israel', says chief on Tehran Visit

Is Hamas changing its stripes?

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Is Hamas trying to change its stripes?

Terrorist attacks against Israelis appear to be on pause, and rocket fire from Gaza is down significantly. The Hamas leader in Damascus, Khaled Meshaal, is trying to distance himself from the Assad regime and align Hamas with the forces of the Arab Spring. Hamas’ parent organization in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, has entered mainstream politics in Cairo, and U.S. officials have met with Brotherhood leaders.

And this week in Doha, Qatar, Meshaal and the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, announced plans for a new unity government that will include both Hamas and Fatah, Abbas’ faction.

Hamas is clearly undergoing a "reorientation" as a result of geopolitical changes in the region, said Shlomo Brom, director of the program on Israeli-Palestinian relations at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.

"Hamas is moving away from Syria and Iran, and to a certain degree from Hezbollah, and is repositioning itself in line with the popular movements behind the Arab Spring and the democratization process, particularly in Egypt and Tunisia," Brom said. "A renewed push for reconciliation with Fatah should be seen as part of this reorientation."

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s isn’t biting. In a statement released in response to the announcement in Doha, Netanyahu suggested that the planned Palestinian unity government is more about Abbas joining the extremists than Hamas joining the moderates in the Palestinian Authority.

Palestinian factions Hamas, Fatah reach unity deal

Palestinian factions Hamas, Fatah reach unity deal (cnn)

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Rival Palestinian political factions Fatah and Hamas named President Mahmoud Abbas the head of an interim unity government during a televised signing ceremony Monday.

The deal was signed in Doha, Qatar, by Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, who said last month he plans to step down from his post.

"The Palestinian reconciliation is no longer a Palestinian interest but also an Arab interest," Abbas said. 

Gaza protesters target UN chief

Dozens of Palestinians staged a hostile protest as the convoy of visiting UN chief Ban Ki-moon crossed into Gaza from Israel.

Many were relatives of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, and said they were angry at Mr Ban's refusal to meet them to discuss the prisoners' situation.

Some threw shoes and some held signs reading "enough bias for Israel".

Mr Ban is visiting the region to try to kick-start stalled peace negotiations.

A month of "exploratory talks" ended last week without any breakthroughs.

Negotiations on a two-state solution stalled in late 2010 after a dispute over Jewish settlement construction.

U.N.'s Ban Ki-moon visits Jordan to boost Mideast peace plan

U.N.'s Ban visits Jordan to boost Mideast peace plan (cnn)

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pays an official visit to Jordan on Tuesday, as part of a Middle East trip to help move the peace process forward.

"My visit comes at an important moment," Ban told reporters last week, in announcing the trip to Jordan, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

"I will be there to encourage both sides to re-engage in earnest and create a positive atmosphere for moving forward," he said.

In recent months, Jordan's King Abdullah II has taken a more active role in trying to bridge the gulf between Israelis and Palestinians, filling the vacuum created by the removal of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak. 

No Money, No Honey!

As soon as the troubles started in Syria and the Regime was short of cash to pay Hamas, all of sudden the arranged marriage between Hamas and the Regime ended.

On the last tour of the Region by Hamas dude Haniyeh, he didn't even stop in Iran. It looks like that Hamas is moving its operation to Turkey where they are promised $300 million in annual aids.

@@@

Despite this..........

It seems that Syria is no longer a safe place for the Hamas headquarter........