The head of the foreign relations department of the Palestinian movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Bassem Naim, said the movement was disappointed by the reaction of Middle Eastern countries to Israel’s actions.
Hamas is “disappointed with the response of the region, of the countries in the region,” Naeem said in an interview with NBC News. According to him, Iran may be the only country that “supports the resistance.”
At the same time, he noted that Iran is an independent state with its own interests. Iran “calculates very well what to do and what not to do,” Naeem added.
The head of Hamas’s foreign affairs department also said that as the focus of the fighting shifts to Lebanon and Iran, negotiations over hostages still held in the enclave have effectively stalled.
He stressed that he does not know how many hostages survived.
The captives are “in different areas with different groups, in a very difficult security situation,” Naeem explained.
He added that the Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar “still alive” and “still in control” of the group, regularly communicating with its members in the Gaza Strip and beyond.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel. In response, Israel launched a military operation against Hamas.
