Various outlets and aggregators late last week carried public reports about a string of Hamas rallies in what has until recently been the Fatah-dominated West Bank, as concerns deepened that an impending unity agreement between the two traditional Palestinian rivals would allow Hamas to halt a year-long downward spiral by expanding its reach beyond its seat of power in the Gaza Strip.

Turkey’s Anadolu Agency specifically quoted Hussein Youssef, whom the site described as a “leading Hamas figure,” declaring at one rally that “Palestinians will keep up street pressure to resist the occupation and stand by the prisoners.”

The reports came just a few weeks after a spike in Hamas activity fueled fears that the terror group was maneuvering to use the political rearrangement to boost its status regionally.

Meanwhile reports emerged over the weekend that Iranian and Hamas figures – specifically the latter’s political bureau head Khaled Meshaal and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian – had met publicly, the first time that figures from the two sides had done so in three years:

Meshal praised Iranian support for the “axis of resistance,” as he called it, as well as Iran’s calls for a political resolution to the war in Syria.

The timing of Meshal’s meeting with the Iranian official is important in view of reports suggesting an imminent declaration of a united Palestinian government. In previous years, the Palestinian Authority accused Iran of meddling in Palestinian politics, pressuring Hamas and Islamic Jihad not to join such a government.

It is believed that, this time, the Iranians will not interfere to such an extent, but will still wish to maintain close ties with both Islamic factions in Gaza.

The prospect of a resurgent Iran-backed Hamas seems set to deepen criticism of moves by Fatah to forge an agreed unity government.

[Photo: RT Arabic / YouTube]