Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with Hamas leaders in Qatar on Thursday to discuss efforts to rebuild Gaza, AFP reported. A statement from Hamas confirmed that senior figures from the Iran-backed terrorist group participated in the discussions, including Mohammed Darwish, head of the Shura advisory council, and chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. The meeting coincided with a new exchange of hostages and terrorists between Hamas and Israel. According to Hamas, the talks addressed "the latest political and field developments, the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, prisoner exchange efforts, and Israeli attempts to delay reconstruction and humanitarian relief," though no further details were provided. During his visit, Araqchi also met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani to discuss developments in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority-assigned territories, and Syria, according to a statement from Qatar’s foreign ministry. Iran has long been known to be one of the main benefactors of Hamas and has transferred hundreds of millions of dollars to the group and its leaders. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, lauded Hamas' October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel but denied any Iranian involvement in it. Khamenei’s denial followed a Wall Street Journal report which claimed that Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas' attack and gave the green light for the assault at a meeting in Beirut. Last week, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed that Iran had no knowledge of the October 7 attack. Related articles: 'We did not know about October 7' 'Trump will destroy Iran and weaken Hamas' Families of American October 7 victims sue Iran Hamas faces internal schism "We did not know about October 7... We were supposed to have a meeting with the Americans on JCPOA renewal on October 9, which was undermined and destroyed by this operation," Zarif said, referring to the 2015 by its formal name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Zarif claimed that Tehran’s regional allies, including Hamas, often acted independently of Iran’s interests.