Hamas officials are denying Jordan is mediating to restore the truce with Israel and end the firing of missiles from the Gaza Strip.
According to a report in Time magazine, the United States turned to Jordan’s King ‘Abdallah II for help in stopping the firing of rockets, Jordanian and Palestinian officials said.
‘Abdallah was reportedly asked to act as a go-between, since the U.S. regards Hamas as a terror organization.
Hamas says these reports are unfounded.
Mousa Abu Marzouq, the deputy of what is known as Hamas’ political bureau in Damascus, said there were no new mediation efforts from Arab or international parties, according to Al-Jazeera.
He said there were “contacts” with Arab parties, but this was not at the level of mediation.
Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in a coup in June 2007, resulting in a de facto separation of leadership between Gaza and the West Bank.
The strip has a “rebel” government with Hamas ministers, which is shunned by the West, while the West Bank has an internationally recognized government supported by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas.
Hamas and Fatah are deadlocked in an ongoing conflict and have been unable to solve their differences despite Egyptian mediation.
On the Palestinian-Israeli track, the fragile cease-fire that came into effect in June between the two sides is showing signs of cracking.
In early November Israel carried out what it called pinpointed anti-terrorist operations in the Gaza Strip.
These were met with renewed firing of Qassam rockets from Gaza onto Israeli homes.
Supplies from Israel to the Gaza Strip have been halted or limited, fueling concerns of a humanitarian crisis there.
Israel has insisted its actions were not meant to violate the cease-fire, but on the Palestinian side it was viewed as an end to the truce.
According to the Time report, ‘Abdallah dispatched a senior intelligence officer last week to Damascus, where several senior Hamas officials reside.
The officer warned Hamas leader Khalid Mash’al that Gaza was in danger of being attacked by the Israeli army if the rocket fire did not stop.
The report said Mash’al agreed to the request to halt rocket attacks and relayed orders to Hamas leaders in Gaza.
‘Abdallah also summoned Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to Amman last week to update them on these latest developments and warn Israel that any attack on Gaza would jeopardize relations with Jordan and Egypt, as well as foiling chances of reaching an agreement with the Palestinians, the report said.