Hamas Chief's Visit to Saudi Arabia Signals Potential Shift in Regional Dynamics
Date
4/17/2023 7:21:52 AM
(MENAFN) In a significant development, Hamas Political chief Ismail Haniyeh is set to visit Saudi Arabia on Monday, marking the first such visit in years. A Palestinian source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that Haniyeh will lead a high-level delegation to the oil-rich kingdom. While there has been no confirmation from Riyadh yet, the delegation is expected to engage in talks with Saudi officials on a range of Palestinian and regional issues, as well as bilateral relations between Hamas and Saudi Arabia. The issue of Palestinian detainees in Saudi Arabia is expected to be a key topic of discussion during the visit.
According to the Palestinian source, this visit is a crucial step towards restoring bilateral ties between Saudi Arabia and Hamas after years of tension. The last Hamas visit to Saudi Arabia occurred in 2015 when former group leader Khaled Meshal met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz and senior Saudi officials.
In August 2021, a Saudi court sentenced 69 Palestinian and Jordanian nationals with varying jail terms over accusations of Hamas links. However, in recent months, Riyadh has released most of the detainees, including Hamas representative to the kingdom Mohammed al-Khudari. This visit by Haniyeh and his delegation could be a significant development in the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and broader regional stability.
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