As Israel-Hamas war rages on, militant group's top brass enjoys luxury far from conflict

The war between Israel and Hamas is intensifying with each passing day. On Oct 7, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack against Israel, and Israel hit back hard at the Gaza Strip. Thousands of people have died and thousands have been injured on both sides of the conflict. The Israeli offensive at Gaza has targeted several commanders and officials of Hamas.

However, many top leaders of the Palestinian militant group enjoy safety and luxury far from the conflict. According to a report byy net newson Monday (Oct 30), Hamas' political chief Ismail Haniyeh was in his residence in Qatar on Oct 7 when the group's attack started. The report said that Haniyeh left his luxurious residence in Gaza's al-Shati refugee camp more than two years ago, relocating to Doha.

While Haniyeh's wife and children joined him, his brother stayed in Gaza, witnessing the destruction of his house by Israeli strikes and the loss of other family members, the report added.

Khaled Mashal, the former political chief of the militant group, also resides in Qatar. They net newsreport also said that Mashal has been living in Qatar since 2012, after Hamas shifted its offices from Syria because of the onset of a civil war there.

Since the October 7 conflict, Qatar became a key intermediary over the fate of hundreds of hostages held by Hamas militants. In Qatar, Hamas officials met diplomats and envoys from various countries, including Iran and Russia, the report said.

Apart from Qatar, Lebanon has emerged as a second home for key Hamas figures, including Saleh al-Aaruri,who is heading the group's politburo. The report byy net newssaid that al-Aaruri convened with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhala in Beirut.

Last Friday, Qatar told the United States that it was open to reconsidering the presence of Hamas in Qatar once a crisis was resolved to secure the release of scores of hostages taken to Gaza by the militant group, the Washington Post reported citing a senior US official.

The official said that this understanding was reached at a meeting in Doha earlier this month between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

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