Hamas denies request to relocate from Qatar to Syria

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinian group Hamas on Wednesday denied reports about asking Syria or any other country to host its political office.

The Lebanese newspaper Al-Liwaa, citing an unnamed source, said, Hamas has asked to relocate its political office from Qatar to Syria.

According to the newspaper, the Hamas request was rejected by the head of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad.

"Hamas denies the news report published by Al-Liwaa newspaper about our request to relocate to Syria," group spokesperson Jihad Taha said in a statement.

"The movement did not request this from Syria or any other country," he stressed.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said on Tuesday that the Hamas office in Doha was opened in 2012 in coordination with the US for the purpose of mediation between the two sides.

“As long as Qatar’s mediation efforts continue, there is no justification to end the presence of the Hamas political bureau in Doha,” the spokesman said.

"As of now, nothing has changed in that regard," he added.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul