Since returning to power last summer, Egypt’s military leaders have continued to clash with the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas. After cracking down on the Muslim Brotherhood, Reuters reports that the military is focused on undermining Hamas by supporting opposition activities and protests in the Gaza Strip.
The Egyptian regime believes that Hamas, a Muslim Brotherhood offshoot, is perpetuating instability in the country by supporting al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist groups operating against security forces in the Sinai and throughout other major cities.
“According to the Egyptian officials, Hamas will face growing resistance by activists who will launch protests similar to those in Egypt that have led to the downfall of two presidents since the Arab Spring in 2011,” Reuters reported Tuesday.
“We cannot get liberated from the terrorism of the Brotherhood in Egypt without ending it in Gaza, which lies on our borders,” a security official told the news service.
Earlier this month, Cairo publicly hosted an anti-Hamas youth conference aimed at deposing the terrorist organization from power in Gaza. Now, Egyptian officials are consulting with Hamas’s Palestinian rival, Fatah, on how to undermine Hamas. Some even entertain the notion of supporting other rival armed groups operating in Gaza to deteriorate Hamas’ power.
Hamas denies interfering in Egypt’s internal affairs. However, Egypt’s public prosecutor accused Hamas of conspiring with ousted former President Mohamed Morsi and Iran to conduct terrorist attacks in Egypt. The military’s animosity towards Hamas was highlighted throughout its crackdown on smuggling tunnels into the Gaza Strip and the fact that no Hamas official has been permitted to travel to Egypt since Morsi’s ouster. Now senior Egyptian officials are discussing plans to destroy the terrorist organization. The fact that they acknowledge that this plan will take years demonstrates the military’s commitment to this objective.
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