King & Emir prying Hamas

[Oxford Analytica] "... Hamas's emerging alliance with Qatar is helping the Islamist movement distance itself from Tehran and rehabilitate its ties with the region's Sunni states. However, its regional re-emergence will not be complete until it has repaired relations with Riyadh -- something which is unlikely to happen unless Hamas takes the potentially destabilising step of cutting relations with Tehran.

The emir of Qatar, Shaykh Hamad bin-Khalifa Al Thani, visited Gaza today, in the first visit by a head of state to the territory since Hamas took power in 2006. Hamas, a wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, has strengthened its ties with Doha in the past year amid a weakening of relations with traditional allies, Iran and Syria. Qatar is playing a key role in bolstering the organisation as it seeks to capitalise on the new regional environment. Substantial financial aid is reportedly helping Hamas compensate for a shortfall in Iranian funding, while the emirate has played a key role in mediating talks with both Jordan and Fatah. However, relations with Saudi Arabia remain on hold following the Palestinian Islamist movement's seizure of power in Gaza in 2007..."