Qatar’s support for Mishaal

Qatar lobbied strongly for Khalid Mishaal ahead of his re-election as head of Hamas, according to diplomatic sources. Reuters quoted one diplomat in the region as saying Egypt and Qatar had both backed Mishaal, who divides his time between Doha and Cairo. “They saw Mishaal as a moderate and an example of a leader who saw the world more comprehensively than other (Gaza-based) hardliners in the group,” the diplomat said.