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A Hamas official on Sunday denied reports that relations between the militant group and Qatar have been brought to a low level.
"Qatar provides Hamas with all facilities it asks for," said Izzat Al-Reshq, a member of Hamas' politburo, the decision-making body of the Islamic movement.
The reports said that Qatar restricts the movements of Hamas' politburo chief Khaled Meshal, who has been residing in Doha since Hamas frontline leaders evacuated their longtime base in Damascus, Syria, in 2012.
"The relationship with Qatar did not change; it is in its best forms," Al-Reshq added in remarks published on his Facebook page.
According to the reports, Meshal complained of a sort of "siege " around him in Qatar and that these measures prevented him from talking freely to the press.
As a result, Meshal considers changing his base and move to another capital, but his options are limited.
By leaving Damascus, Hamas lost financial support from Iran, a common backer of Hamas and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Hamas resisted pressure from Tehran to take sides with al-Assad against popular uprising and rebels seeking his ouster.
Hamas can't also position its outside leaders in Cairo, as the Egyptian army overthrew Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July, who is a member of the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood, the historic mother of Hamas.
Deemed a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, Hamas has no options in most of other capitals.
In 2007, Hamas forces took over the Gaza Strip after routing forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The movement says it can't bring its key leaders into Gaza for fears of Israeli targeting.
