Report: Hezbollah Tells Hamas to Leave Lebanon Immediately
by Zach Pontz
The Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah has told Palestinian terror group Hamas to leave Lebanon immediately, Arab media reported on Thursday.
The report says that the move is a result of Hamas’s continued support of Syrian rebels in their fight against Bashar al-Assad’s regime forces.
Ali Baraka, the Hamas representative in Lebanon, told Lebanese paper Aliwaa that Hezbollah officials in Lebanon were surprised by the report.
“We contacted Hezbollah officials who were surprised from this report,” the Hamas representative claimed. “Hamas is staying in Lebanon and nothing has changed so far,” he clarified.
Hamas has denied supporting Syrian rebels, but the Times of London reported last month that Hamas’ military wing has broken ties with Assad, and has begun training members of the opposition’s Free Syrian Army in Damascus.
Hamas long enjoyed Syrian patronage. Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal was based in Damascus until 2012, before relocating to Qatar, citing the ongoing conflict in Syria.