In an unprecedented move, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) published Hamas’ condolences for the death of King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud on Jan. 23. In its statement, Hamas expressed sympathies to new King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud and the Saudi people.
On the evening of Jan. 25, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal offered his condolences to Majid al-Hassan, adviser to the Saudi Embassy in Qatar, and praised the Saudi role in supporting the Palestinian cause. The same day, a Hamas delegation headed by the movement’s representative in Lebanon, Ali Baraka, offered its condolences to the Saudi ambassador in Beirut, Ali Asiri.