With the eruption of the Syrian revolution in 2011, Hamas chose to remain neutral in the civil strife that followed, putting it at odds with Damascus.

By 2012, the group’s leadership were forced to leave Syria after being pressured to publicly support Assad, a position they refused to take.

The group eventually voiced its support for the Syrian revolution, effectively severing its ties with Assad.

Nearly 10 years later, Hamas restored relations with Assad’s government, sending a delegation to meet the toppled president in the Syrian capital in 2022.