A senior Hamas official met with Hezbollah leaders in Lebanon recently in an attempt to strengthen ties between the two organizations, the Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar reported on Wednesday.



The Hamas emissary, whose visit was unofficial, handed over a message from Hamas leader in Gaza Mahmoud a-Zahar, according to the newspaper, which is regarded as being close to Hezbollah.



Relations between the two organizations have been tense – and at times nonexistent – since the start of the civil war in Syria. While Hezbollah is an outspoken and active supporter of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Hamas has leaned towards the Islamic opponents of the regime, particularly the Sunnis.



However, ties have warmed recently, particularly following the summer war in Gaza, as part of the Hamas initiative to improve relations with Iran. A-Zahar is a proponent of closer ties with Teheran, while his colleagues Ismail Haniyeh and Mussa Abu Marzouk prefer a more conciliatory approach.



Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah expressed his willingness to support the Palestinian resistance during the Gaza war. Most observers took that as more lip service than anything else, but Hezbollah sources say that the ties between the two are a lot closer than is commonly thought.

