World Bulletin / News Desk

Palestinian resistance faction Hamas has denied media reports that Qatar had asked Hamas political chief Khaled Meshaal to leave the country.

"These are mere lies," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Anadolu Agency on Monday. "Qatar has not asked Meshaal to leave its territory."

Tunisian newspaper Al-Shorouk earlier reported that Doha had asked Meshaal to leave the country.

Citing sources, the newspaper reported that Meshaal – who is currently visiting Tunisia – was holding talks with Tunisian officials with a view to securing residence in the country.

The reports come hard on the heels of a Qatari decision this weekend to ask seven figures from Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to leave the oil-rich Gulf state.

An Egyptian diplomatic source attributed the Qatari decision to pressure from both the United States and Saudi Arabia.

A large number of Muslim Brotherhood leaders, members and affiliates left Egypt for Qatar following last year's ouster of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president and a Muslim Brotherhood leader.

The issue had soured relations between the Gulf state and Egypt's new army-backed rulers, who had repeatedly asked Doha to deport any figures associated with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.