Egypt not so welcoming to Hamas these days. Illustrative. By Joshua Spurlock
Tensions are high between Egypt and Hamas in Gaza, after an Egyptian court designated the group’s armed wing as terrorists and Hamas accused Egypt of attacking their outposts in Gaza. Daily News Egypt, citing Egyptian state media, reported that over the weekend an Egyptian court designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, accusing it of participating in terrorism and using tunnels into the Egyptian Sinai region for smuggling to fund and arm their terror activities.
Egypt joins the US and others in determining that Hamas is a terror group. The Egyptian court even accused Hamas of being involved in attacks against Egyptians. On Tuesday, it was Hamas’ turn to accuse Egypt of attacking them in Gaza.
The Ma’an News Agency reported that witnesses claimed Egyptian troops fired at Palestinian military posts in Gaza, which the Hamas Ministry of the Interior later confirmed. Ironically, it was Hamas commander of the Gaza national security forces Abu Ubayda al-Jarrah who said the incident was an accident and that the Egyptians were fighting in the Sinai region.
Egypt and Hamas have been at odds ever since the pro-Hamas Egyptian government led by the Muslim Brotherhood was overthrown by a military coup two summers ago. The current regime in Egypt sees Hamas as a threat and a partner to the Brotherhood, which has been involved in terrorist activities in the past.
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, February 4, 2015)