Alwaght-Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has condemned some Egyptian media for their “pro-Israeli campaign of incitement” against the group and the people of Gaza, as Press TV reports.
A statement by Hamas spokesperson, Sami Abu Zuhri, on Saturday rejected reports by Egyptian media that militants from Gaza are involved in the armed militancy in east Egypt.
Abu Zuhri condemned the unfounded claims and urged the Arab governments to stop the conspiracy.
"Hamas calls on Arab states to bear their responsibilities towards this incitement not only on Hamas but also on the Palestinian people. We call for a large media campaign to unveil this conspiracy," said Abu Zuhri.
The statement dismissed reports that Hamas fighters have crossed into Egyptian territory, saying that the resistance movement continues fulfilling its responsibility regarding the protection of the Gaza-Egypt border.
"All the tunnels underneath the border with Egypt had been destroyed and there are both Palestinian and Egyptian security forces guarding the borders area," said the Palestinian official.
On Friday, the Sky News Arabia, a news channel that is based in Dubai and is close to the government in Cairo, claimed that the Egyptian army has raised the alert level in Sinai following reports that militants have crossed into the region from Gaza. Cairo has yet to make any statement on the report.
Deteriorating ties
Hamas and Egypt have considerably downgraded their relations after a pro-Hamas government in Cairo led by President Mohamed Morsi was ousted in the summer of 2013 in a coup. Last month, Egypt listed as terrorist the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades (pictured below), the military wing of Hamas, and the most notable force standing against Israel's repeated attacks on the Gaza Strip over the past years.
The incumbent military-backed government of Egypt has been involved in a deadly battle with militants in the restive Sinai region, which borders Gaza. Dozens of security forces and civilians have been killed over the past months in attacks that were claimed by the militant group calling itself Ansar Bait al-Maqdis. Sporadic attacks on security forces have continued over the past weeks despite a pledge by the Western-backed President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (pictured above) in January that he will do everything in his capacity to eradicate the militancy in the Arab country.
