Hamas' spokesman in the Gaza Strip, Mushir al-Masri, responded in a conversation with Ynet to the report that Hamas' politburo chief Khales Mashaal left Damascus following a demand made by Syrian President Bashar Assad that his organization releases the kidnapped IDF soldier.
Al-Masri said that he was not familiar with the incident and cannot address it. He added, however, that he believed the information was not true. (Ali Waked)