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'Mashaal leaves Damascus for Sudan'
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Sep 2, 2008 - 8:40:04 AM

'Mashaal leaves Damascus for Sudan'

Hamas denied an al-Rai al-Aam report that the Syrian government had instructed Damascus-based Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal to leave and move to Sudan, Army Radio reported Tuesday afternoon.

According to the Kuwaiti paper's story, published earlier in the day, indirect negotiations between Israel and Syria were the reason Mashaal was asked to move to Sudan. Palestinian sources were quoted in the story as attributing the move to a secret deal between Syria and the Hamas leader.

One of Israel's primary demands on Syria in indirect talks currently being hosted by Turkey is that it severs ties with groups such as Hamas and Hizbullah.

According to Army Radio, Hamas strongly denied the report, stressing that the relationship between the group and Syria remained strong. "Our relations with Syria are strategic and very deep," Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan said.

In June, Mashaal, who has been based in Syria since he was expelled from Jordan ten years ago, had stated that negotiations between Israel and Syria would not affect or harm the relations between Hamas and Syria.