Hamas in Lebanon meets Islamic Jihad ahead of possible Hezbollah meeting
Palestinian Islamic Jihad hosts Hamas for fancy Beirut meeting
By SETH J. FRANTZMANAbu Ubaida, the spokesman of the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, walks during an anti-Israel military show by Hamas militants in the southern Gaza Strip(photo credit: IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA/REUTERS)Hamas members were hosted in Beirut recently by Palestinian Islamic Jihad in a meeting of arch-terrorist masterminds that included a meal at what appeared to be a nice restaurant or villa. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is on a regional tour after being given red-carpet treatment in Ankara by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.It appears that Hamas is seeking to gain more notoriety after the UAE and Israel announced normalization. Haniyeh is also trying to present himself as a regional leader. He and the Hamas delegation also are meeting with Hezbollah officials, Al Arabiya television news reported.The meeting in Beirut came after other meetings Hamas held with Lebanese officials. Beirut Port suffered a massive explosion in August that killed more than 150 people.Despite Lebanon being in mourning and financial distress, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad appeared to toast their success. PIJ has been confronting Israel over the last two years after Hamas launched its “March of Return” in 2018.Islamic Jihad secretary-general Ziyad al-Nakhalah is intensely interested in the meetings because they are supposed to be the lead-up to a video conference with Palestinian groups in the West Bank.Hamas also met in Beirut with the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, as well as with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Hassan Diab, the caretaker prime minister. He complained about Lebanon’s treatment of Palestinian refugees and discussed Israel’s threats to “annex” areas in the West Bank.Gaza-based Islamic Jihad member Mohammed al-Hindi also participated in meetings, although it was not clear if he was present or by video conference, according to Iranian media and Hezbollah media, which both followed the discussions. Osmana Hamdan, a senior Hamas member, indicated that the meetings might include Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.It is the first high-level Hamas visit of this kind in 17 years. Hezbollah’s Hassan Huballah was photographed with Haniyeh. At least 12 men participated in the high-level meetings with Islamic Jihad on Wednesday.Palestinian Islamic Jihad is widely considered a proxy of Iran. It is one of the smaller Palestinian factions but has networks in Syria, Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon and has been active in missile development and increasing the threats from Gaza over the last several years.Iran also has been active in trying to recruit Palestinians over the years, including an attempt to infiltrate and work more closely with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. This included attempts by Iran to work through PFLP activists in Lebanon, such as in the Beddawi refugee camp.
The Hamas meetings in Lebanon appear to be part of a wider move, backed by Turkey, to increase Hamas’s relevance in the region by making it seem like Haniyeh is a head of a government traveling from country to country. Last December, the terrorist group made a similar tour of countries, including Turkey and Qatar among others.
