Egyptian Military Setting Sights on Hamas: Report

After crippling the Muslim Brotherhood, Cairo is reportedly looking to disrupt Islamist party in Gaza

  • Share
  • Read Later
Mohammed Salem / Reuters

Members of the Palestinian security forces loyal to the Hamas movement take part in a parade marking the fifth anniversary of the three-week offensive Israel launched in 2008-2009, in Gaza City January 13, 2014.

Reuters is reporting that the Egyptian military has a new adversary in its sights. After launching a coup against democratically elected Mohamed Mursi last July, and unleashing a massive crackdown on his party the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian armed forces are looking to undermine Hamas in Gaza, the news agency says.

The new regime in Cairo has already tightened it’s economic vice on Gaza, destroying a majority of the 1,200 tunnels that are used to smuggle weapons and food into the coastal Palestinian territory, which is also being blockaded by Israel.

“We cannot get liberated from the terrorism of the Brotherhood in Egypt without ending it in Gaza, which lies on our borders,” an unnamed Egyptian senior security official told Reuters.

Egypt’s top brass have leveled blame against Hamas for supporting al Qaeda-linked groups, which have stepped up attacks on security forces in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula since the military takeover of the county.

Hamas representatives deny Cairo’s allegations.

[Reuters]