Hamas slams Egypt court decision on Ezzedine Qassam Brigades

The Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, has condemned a decision by an Egyptian court to blacklist its military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, as a “terrorist” organization.

“We reject the Egyptian court’s decision against Qassam Brigades. It is a political, dangerous decision that serves only the Zionist occupation,” Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, the Cairo Court of Urgent Matters claimed in a lawsuit that the group was involved in recent attacks against Egypt’s security forces.

“The court ruled to ban the Qassam Brigades and to list it as a terrorist group,” said Judge Mohamed al-Sayid of the court, in a ruling that is in line with a systematic crackdown on opposition by the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Meanwhile, a source close to Hamas’ armed wing said the resistance movement would no longer accept Egypt as a broker between Palestinians and the Israeli regime, saying, “After the court’s decision Egypt is no longer a mediator in Palestinian-Israeli matters.”

Egypt-Hamas relations

Following the ouster of Egypt’s former president, Mohamed Morsi, in July 2013, relations between the Egyptian government and Hamas, which governs the besieged Gaza Strip, have strained.

Egypt has stepped up destruction of cross-border tunnels into Gaza since then. More than 1,600 tunnels have been demolished since the military-backed government came to power in Cairo last year.

In early January, Egyptian army sources said the military has begun operations to increase the size of the existing 500-meter buffer zone along the border with Gaza to a full kilometer.

The Cairo authorities decided to create the buffer zone after deadly attacks in the restive Sinai Peninsula that targeted more than 30 Egyptian soldiers in October 2014.

The underground routes are the only lifeline for the people of Gaza living under the Israeli blockade. Palestinians use the tunnels to bring essential supplies, such as foodstuff, cooking gas, medicines, petrol, and livestock into the impoverished Palestinian territory.

MR/HSN/SS

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