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Sinai Attacks Raises Questions About Hamas 10 July 10, 2015 News & Analysis Egypt Sinai attacks raises questions about Hamas Amr Emam Cairo recent series of attacks on military posts in North Sinai ushered in new calls by Egyptian political analysts for authorities toA tighten the noose around the Gaza Strip and its ruling Hamas move- ment. Analysts accuse Hamas of aiding militants who staged attacks that left 17 Egyptian troops dead and 13 others wounded. The July 1st attacks were the most brazen as, according to a July 4th statement by Egyptian Presi- dent Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the army foiled a plan by Islamic State (ISIS) militants to overrun part of North Sinai and declare it the capital of an Islamic province. Instead of establishing the capi- tal, however, the militants suffered as many as 205 deaths in battles with Egyptian troops, according to the Egyptian Army. Now, it is not clear whether a re- Turbulence in the peninsula. The entrance to Sheikh Zuweid city in northern Sinai. ported improvement in relations between Hamas and Egypt will weather accusations that the move- the border with Gaza, the contin- velopments to reduce tensions be- put in perspective. Sinai’s stability, adding that, soon ment has been helping Sinai terror- ued closure of the Rafah crossing, tween Gaza and Cairo. “Egypt will only seek to contain after the July 1st attacks, Hamas ists. the creation of a buffer zone on the “It is clear that Cairo is keen to Hamas until it finishes with its sent extra national security and po- border and the construction of a se- open a new chapter in its relations other battles,” Hafez said. “Hamas lice to the border to prevent smug- Egypt will only seek curity fence, has added to tensions. with Hamas and Hamas meets this can never be on good terms with gling there. to contain Hamas Gaza, home to about 1.9 million with enthusiasm,” Abu Zuhri said. our country simply because it is Palestinians, has been under siege There has been speculation that the same organisation [the Muslim An Egyptian court until it finishes with by Israel since Hamas fired civil Egypt and Hamas might be com- Brotherhood] Egyptian authorities revoked a previous its other battles servants and security personnel pelled to cooperate further, in are fighting here.” employed by the occupied West view of the emergence of jihadist Egypt has been cracking down court ruling labelling “Hamas cannot easily overcome Bank-ruling Palestinian Authority Salafism, which supports ISIS, in on the Muslim Brotherhood since Hamas as a its ties with the Muslim Brother- in 2007. The siege includes an all- Gaza. ISIS has vowed to unseat Ha- 2013, accusing members of the “terrorist” group hood, now crossing swords with out blockade, one that denies the mas and occupy Gaza, Israel and group of standing behind its persis- the authorities in Cairo,” said Rifaat residents of Gaza their most basic the West Bank. tent turmoil, even as the Brother- On July 4th, senior Hamas figure Sayed Ahmed, head of local think- needs. hood continues to claim it is com- Musa Abu Marzouq, told a pro-Ha- tank Yafa Centre for Studies and The closure of the Rafah crossing Hamas cannot easily mitted to peaceful activism. mas channel that instability in Si- Research. “This harms its relations on the border with Egypt choked The claims that Hamas is party to nai would reflect negatively on the with Egypt to a great extent.” the coastal territory but Egyptian overcome its ties Sinai violence are given credence situation inside Gaza. An ideological offshoot of the authorities reopened the crossing with the Muslim by statements released by the “We reach out to whoever rules Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas did for a week in June, amid hopes in Brotherhood Egyptian Army. Egypt because we are talking about not seem to favour the ouster by Gaza that Cairo would take steps On July 4th, the army said its the future of the Palestinian people the army of Muslim Brotherhood to alleviate the suffering of Gazans. The enthusiasm turned, how- troops had aborted a bid to smuggle here,” Abu Marzouq said. president Muhammad Morsi in July Egypt also allowed the entry into ever, to be short-lived, after the half a ton of explosives into Gaza He said he found it unfortunate 2013, even as the Palestinian move- Gaza of badly needed construction July 1st attacks in Sinai, as accusa- through a border tunnel. Military that new attacks take place inside ment counters accusations, saying materials. tions were levelled against Hamas’s experts say the explosives would Sinai every time Egypt opens the what happens in Egypt is purely an Weeks earlier, an Egyptian court military wing of complicity in the have been made into bombs inside Rafah crossing but he also expected Egyptian affair. revoked a previous court ruling la- attacks. Gaza and returned to Egypt for de- relations with Egypt to become bet- A massive Egyptian military cam- belling Hamas as a “terrorist” group Sharif Hafez, an Egyptian expert livery to terrorists targeting Egyp- ter in the future. paign in the Sinai peninsula, one like Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. on Arab-Israeli affairs, says recent tian troops in Sinai. that included the demolition of Hamas spokesman Sami Abu measures by Egyptian authorities Abu Zuhri said his movement ad- Amr Emam is a Cairo-based hundreds of smuggling tunnels on Zuhri said he expected recent de- on the border with Gaza should be justs border security and protects contributor to The Arab Weekly. The Muslim Brotherhood and the war on Egypt Viewpoint he latest series of The Arab states that stood with an open war against Egypt and existence is at stake and that attacks in northern Egypt faced a number of chal- there can be no doubt that foreign It was the there can be no compromise with Sinai gives some idea lenges, most prominently from powers are backing this war, Egyptian terrorism at home or abroad, of the scope of the Washington and Ankara. The US providing the terrorists with arms whether in Libya, Gaza or else- challenge that administration fails to under- and even men. Nobody can claim people who where. Egypt should take the President Abdel stand that there is a general that hundreds of fighters can brought initiative and not let itself be a TFattah al-Sisi’s Egypt is facing. consensus in the Arab world simultaneously attack dozens of down the theatre for proxy wars. On June 30, 2013, millions of about the Muslim Brotherhood security outposts in coordination rule of the We cannot underestimate the Egyptians took to the street to and its members — we can no without outside assistance. This forces arrayed against Egypt. protest against the regime of longer differentiate between a indicates that they are an organ- Muslim These forces have already shown Khairallah president Muhammad Morsi and “moderate” member of the group ised army that possesses sophisti- Brotherhood their strength. This requires a Khairallah the Muslim Brotherhood. Yes, the and a hard-line or extremist cated weapons. There can also be quick response from Egypt’s armed forces sided with the member. All members of the no doubt that the Egyptian armed forces to purge the Sinai people but ultimately it was the Brotherhood and the extremists government bears a heavy from terrorism. Egyptian people who brought come from the same root and are responsibility for its inability to There can be no doubt that down the rule of the Muslim members of the same branch. take the required measures to anything less than a strong Brotherhood. And so, in revenge, From the June 29th assassina- respond to the Brotherhood’s Egyptian response could be seen the group decided to launch tion of Prosecutor-General attempts. The Brotherhood has by terrorists as an invitation to all-out war on Egypt itself. Hisham Barakat to the series of clear plans and objectives. Simply escalate their campaign. So there Arab allies, led by Saudi Arabia, bombings across different regions put, it wants to topple Sisi. The is a need for long-term strategy, in stood shoulder to shoulder with of Egypt to the attacks on military Egyptian leadership should make coordination with allied Arab the Egyptian people on the basis and security outposts in northern up its mind. It should confirm states, to put an end to this open that the Arab world needs a Sinai, it is clear that the Muslim that there is no difference war against Egypt. strong Egypt and that the Brotherhood is trying to send a between a “moderate” member of However, this is more than just collapse of the country would message. The thrust of this the Muslim Brotherhood and an a war on Egypt; it is a war on serve to unbalance the region and message is that the Brotherhood extremist; they are all the same. moderate Islam and on the Arab plunge it into chaos. has launched an all-out war The Brotherhood is the root of world. Egypt will not eliminate against Egypt. Brotherhood extremism, including al-Qaeda terrorism overnight but now, members will not give up on their and the Islamic State. From more than ever, we need a goal of regaining control of Egypt. Osama bin Laden to Abu Bakr long-term strategy that recog- This is something they will al-Baghdadi to Abu Musab nises that there can be no let up in Brotherhood members continue to pursue, seeking to al-Zarqawi to Ayman al-Zawahiri the fight against the Muslim will not give up on their benefit from the open borders — they are all from the same root Brotherhood.
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