Hamas has denied reports that it is seeking to move its headquarters from Syria to Jordan, following its leader’s first official visit to Amman since the kingdom expelled him more than a decade ago.
Khaled Meshaal and a Hamas delegation met with Jordanian King Abdullah II but did not discuss relocating there, an unidentified source close to Hamas told the Jordanian daily Ad-Dustour in an article published Tuesday.
The source told the paper the Islamist movement will not move its headquarters from Damascus. Many of Hamas’ Jordanian leaders relocated there after being expelled from their home country in 1999.
During the talk, Hamas confirmed to Abdullah that it will not harm Jordanian interests, the paper quoted the source as saying. The visit came as a move to restore relations with Jordan, the source said.
Meshaal, a Jordanian citizen, was deported to Qatar after a security crackdown on the movement in 1999 amid charges that it was harming Jordanian national interests.
The paper said Meshaal and his deputy, Moussa Abu Marzouk, are scheduled to travel from Amman to Cairo on Tuesday afternoon.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Monday said his country was ready to host the headquarters for the movement, which the West and Israel consider a terrorist organization.
In September, the Jordanian government allowed Meshaal to enter the country briefly to see his sick mother. He was allowed to make another visit two years ago to attend his father’s funeral.
