Palestinians wave the Lebanese, Hezbollah, and Hamas flags. (Photo credit: Abid Katib/Getty)
On 26 February Saleh al-Arouri, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, met with the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sayed Hassan Nasrallah.
The two discussed the recent escalation of tensions in Palestine, such as the Israeli attacks and provocations against the residents of Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem.
Israeli settlers have been trying to claim Sheikh Jarrah for decades since the 1967 war through lawsuits, but in recent years have began taking measures into their own hands via violent harassments of the residents of this Palestinian neighborhood.
Other issues discussed included the conflict between the Axis of Resistance and the Israeli occupation forces as well as the region’s political developments.
The two leaders also noted the importance of unity and stability when it comes to facing the threats and pressures placed on the Islamic Resistance Axis, while also acknowledging the current strong relationship between Hamas and Hezbollah and calling for further expansion of ties.
The two resistance groups coordinated together during the height of the 11 day war against Gaza in 2021, which saw Tel Aviv carpet bomb the besieged enclave and kill over 250 Palestinians.
Slamming the trend of normalization by neighboring Arab countries, Al-Arouri and Nasrallah called on countries to reject such ties with Israel and to reverse such a move for those who have cemented ties with them.
Countries that have normalized ties with Israel include the UAE, Morocco, and Bahrain, the latter of which has officially announced that Mossad is active in the island country as part of their intelligence cooperation with Tel Aviv.
Hamas and Hezbollah also affirmed their support for Palestinians in Israeli jails, declaring that they are part of the battle for Palestinian liberation.
Palestinian prisoners are often subjected to torture and other inhumane treatment. Some prisoners are indefinitely detained, often without charges, under a policy of administrative detention.
Hours after the meeting with Nasrallah, a semi-official Hamas news outlet claimed that a delegation from the group had travelled to Moscow to meet with Russian officials. However, no further confirmation has been provided about the news.
?روسيا تستقبل قادة حماس في موسكو لبحث أخر المستجدات في فلسطين المحتلة ????#روسيا #أوكرانيا #Ukraine #Moscow #Kyiv #Kiev #Russia
— غزة الآن – Gaza Now #عاجل ? (@GazaNownews) February 26, 2022