Hamas not mediating between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Islah: Meshaal

The chief of the political office of Palestinian faction Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, does not mediate between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Muslim Brotherhood movement, his office said on Wednesday.

It added in a statement that media reports about mediation in this regard had nothing to do with reality.

"We are surprised that some people insist to circulate such information [about a mediation effort by Meshaal]," the office said.

It called on media to be cautious and return to original sources in order to get credible information.

Some sources told The Anadolu Agency on Sunday that Meshaal was mediating between the Islah Party, the political arm of Yemen's Muslim Brotherhood movement, and Saudi Arabia.

The sources added that Saudi Arabia was apprehensive about the prospect of more political and security deterioration in Yemen, which falls in the backyard of the oil-rich Gulf kingdom.

The Brotherhood is seen as a force capable of countering the Shiite Houthi group, which has overtaken Yemeni capital Sanaa and seeks to establish control in other areas of turbulent Yemen.

Izzat al-Risheq, a member of the political office of Hamas, said on Tuesday that reports about the presence of mediation by Meshaal between Saudi Arabia and Al-Islah Party were not true.

He said the reports aimed to harm Hamas' political and regional relations at present.

Nevertheless, senior Hamas member Mahmoud al-Zahar said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia had sought to make good relations with Hamas, citing political developments in Yemen and the growing power of the Houthis.

Relations between Riyadh and Hamas have not been well since 2013, the year of the ouster in Cairo by Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, who is also a Muslim Brotherhood leader.

Hamas is an ideological offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. The movement's relations with Egypt and Saudi Arabia have markedly deteriorated since Morsi's ouster.