Syrian authorities have banned Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal from giving interviews in the media and threatened to expel him from Syria if he ignores the ban. According to the Kuwaiti newspaper Maya al-Hadaf, the decision followed US pressure. Mashaal's personal secretary confirmed that the Syria-based Hamas leader was no longer giving statements to the press. However, Hamas official Muhammad Nazar denied the report, saying that Mashaal was in Qatar and could be contacted easily.