Hamas' new manifesto and attempt at diplomacy

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, better known as Hamas, issued a new political document in Doha, Qatar on May 1. The document, titled "General Principles and Policies," contains 42 articles and was an outcome of four years of internal deliberations among various fractions of Hamas, from Gaza and in prison or in exile. It is an attempt to modernize Hamas' founding charter of 1987 with slight changes of its basic principles and practical applications.

The timing of the announcement was also important as it came ahead of a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Washington, and also coincided with the 69th anniversary of the independence of Israel on May 2. As Trump, like many U.S. presidents before him, will soon be trying to reinvigorate negotiations between Israel and Palestine, Hamas wishes to show its "dynamic and adaptive" character in order to be able to take part in the peace process from which it has been excluded up to now.

Moreover, President Abbas had recently unveiled punitive measures against Hamas, in addition to the long-running isolation of Gaza Strip imposed by Egypt and Israel. Gaza has been under the control of Hamas since it replaced the Palestinian Authority in 2007. Since then, living conditions have worsened considerably as a result of its isolation. As the pressure is increasing and resources are drying up, Hamas aims to show that it is also capable of moderation to ease the blockade and open the way for international aid.

The most notable changes in the document were downplaying Hamas' close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, emphasizing a distinction between Jews and Zionism, and accepting an independent Palestinian state within 1967 lines.

Hamas...