Hamas parliamentary delegation arrives in Beirut

Hamas’s Change and Reform bloc’s delegation arrived on Wednesday in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

The delegation, which includes the Hamas MPs Mahmoud al-Zahar, Marwan Abu Ras, Mohammed al-Ghoul, and Mushir al-Masri on Wednesday finished a five-day visit to South Africa where they met with government officials and leaders of political parties and civil society institutions.

Mushir al-Masri in a written statement described the South Africa visit as “successful and fruitful”.

Al-Masri said that the delegation’s visit included meetings with the Speaker of the Parliament of South Africa, the head of the parliamentary bloc of the African National Congress, the ruling party in the country, and other senior officials.

The Hamas MP explained that the delegation discussed the latest developments in the Palestinian arena as well as the Israeli aggressive practices against the Palestinian people, particularly the settlement construction in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the 13-year-long blockade on the Gaza Strip.

He added that the Hamas-South Africa meetings highlighted the challenges facing the Palestinian cause and ways to support it at international forums.

Hamas’s parliamentary delegation and the African National Congress’s parliamentary bloc signed a memorandum of understanding where practical steps were put to support the Palestinian cause and people and boycott Israel at the political and diplomatic levels.

Al-Masri said that the delegation is scheduled to visit other Arab and Muslim countries to keep them informed on the latest developments in the Palestinian cause and mobilize support for the Palestinian people.