Mahmoud Zahar: Mixed Messages or Misinformation?

March 8, 2012 10:06 by Pesach Benson

Mahmoud Zahar

Either Mahmoud Zahar’s sending mixed messages, or someone’s spreading misinformation about whether Hamas possibly joining the fray of an Israeli-Iranian war.

Zahar told the BBC:

But Mahmoud Zahhar, a senior leader of Hamas in Gaza, denied the group would get involved and told the BBC: “We are not part of any political axis.”

“If Israel attacks us we will respond. If they don’t, we will not get involved in any other regional conflict,” he added.

Mr Zahhar questioned Hamas’s ability to offer support from the Palestinian territory to the south of Israel, even if it wanted to.

But AP writes:

Later Wednesday, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency quoted another senior Hamas official in Gaza, Mahmoud Zahar, as saying that “retaliation with utmost power is the position of Hamas with regard to a Zionist war on Iran.” Zahar could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening.

AFP and The Guardian have already quoted their own Hamas sources on record opting out of conflict.

(Image via YouTube/Emirabdlkdr)