Hamas leader meets Jordanian king for first time since 1999

Jordan king

Jordan's King Abdullah II has received the leader of Hamas. It was the first visit by Khaled Mashaal in Jordan since his expulsion 13 years ago. The meeting was mediated by Qatar. Despite the meeting, Jordan will not allow Hamas to open a representative office in Amman.

After his expulsion from Jordan in 1999, the leadership of Hamas moved to Damascus, but the current situation in Syria has forced Hamas to move most of its leaders and their families to other locations.

Meshaal declared after the meeting that its group had no intention of allowing Jordan to be a home for the Palestinians regardless of whether it was part of historical Palestine. “Jordan belongs to the Jordanians and Palestine to the Palestinians,” he stated. He voiced the hope that the visit "will be followed by chapters of goodwill and strong ties to serve the Jordanian and Palestinian interest."