The Hamas leadership is seeking to relocate its headquarters from Damascus, in the wake of continuing unrest and pro-democracy protests in Syria, now in their eighth month.
Hamas has three main leadership centres: its political and military wings in the Gaza Strip and the political bureau in Damascus, which functions mainly as the Hamas foreign wing and co-ordinates the shipment of arms and transfer of funds to Gaza.
Hamas has maintained its main offices in Damascus for over 20 years, first as guests of President Hafez al-Assad and then of his son and successor, Bashar. Syria was the perfect base, not just for the support of the regime, but also its alliance with Iran, Hamas's bankrollers and arm suppliers.
But in recent weeks, families of senior Hamas members in Damascus have begun moving to other Arab countries, while the movement itself, according to Israeli intelligence sources, has begun searching for a new permanent base.
