Qatar's Push for Influence Expands to Gaza

Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani plans to visit the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Oct. 23, AP reported. The emir's visit will be the first by an Arab head of state to Gaza since electoral victory in 2006 gave Hamas control of the territory.

The West has long considered Hamas a pariah due to its refusal to acknowledge Israel's right to exist, though this has not stopped the group from gaining a considerable degree of legitimacy on the regional level. The Qatari emir's visit will likely enhance Hamas' standing as a legitimate political movement. It could help the group acquire political and financial leverage it can use against Fatah, its West Bank-based rival, and other emerging Islamist groups in the Gaza Strip. For Qatar, the visit is part of a wider effort to take advantage of the present distraction of the region's more powerful countries in order to secure a more influential international role.