Regional events have Hamas in political limbo
Various events and unresolved regional crises have fed Hamas' reluctance to forge regional alliances and take decisive positions on developments in the Arab world.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — An unfolding series of events, fast-moving developments and lingering crises in the Arab world have left Hamas unable to take definitive positions on policies and alliances. In particular, it is in no position to decisively assert a position in the Palestinian domestic arena or set a clear-cut strategy for its regional alliances.
Hamas had been encouraged by the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Tunisia following the Arab Spring revolutions, reforging its alliances in the region after its leadership withdrew from Syria and distanced the organization from Iran. After the toppling of the Brotherhood-led government in Egypt in 2013, there was talk of a rapprochement with Iran, but nothing came of it in the immediate aftermath. The death of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in late January and the subsequent change in the kingdom's ruling regime has prompted the movement to continue to move slowly before making a final decision in that regard.
The crisis between Hamas and Egypt remains ongoing. The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is still closed. Hamas' military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, continues to be classified as a terrorist group by Cairo. In addition, media incitement against Hamas in Egypt shows no sign of letting up.
Hamas condemned the burning to death of the Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh in January by the Islamic State (IS), perhaps as part of a bid to move closer to the Jordanian regime. It did not, however, denounce the car bomb killing of dozens of Egyptian soldiers on Oct. 26, 2014, in the Sinai Peninsula, instead only expressing sorrow over their deaths. The movement did condemn the killing of Christians in Libya in a brief statement.
