Hamas leader, Saudi king shake hands after Muslim prayers

Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal and other top officials from the Palestinian militant group met with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and senior Saudi leaders on Friday, a Hamas source said, in the first meeting between the two sides for years.

Mashaal was joined by a delegation of officials from the Palestinian terror group.

“The delegation discussed Palestinian unity and the political situation in the region”, Reuters quoted an unnamed Hamas source as saying.

According to Israel Radio the meeting was held as part of Riyadh’s efforts to help reconcile Hamas and Egypt as well as improve its regional influence in the face of Iranian expansionism.

Mr Meshaal “praised the positive stance of the kingdom’s leadership towards the Palestinian cause”, Saudi Arabia’s SPA state news agency reported.

Mr Meshaal has been living in exile in the Gulf state of Qatar since 2012, when he abandoned his base in Damascus, after Hamas sided with Syrian rebels against President Bashar al-Assad.

Most of Iran’s supporters within Hamas come from the organizations military wing, which has often depended on Iranian financial and military support to rebuild their capabilities in the Gaza Strip.

The meeting comes just two days after Western powers signed a deal with Iran over its nuclear deal that will eventually result in the lifting of all sanctions now employed against the Ayatollahs. The Egyptian newspaper added that Hamas member Mohammed Nazzal has since been appointed financial chairman in Salah’s stead.