Tense Egypt-Hamas Relations Take Turn for Worse
Tense relations between Egypt and Hamas have soured after Cairo for the first time openly accused the Islamists of torpedoing Palestinian reconciliation talks.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit was quoted as saying on Thursday that months of Egyptian-mediated talks between rivals Hamas and Fatah failed in November because of “Hamas’s lack of enthusiasm toward reconciliation.”
As the only Arab nation bordering the Gaza Strip, Egypt has been trying to achieve a detente between Fatah and Hamas and end their conflict, which saw Hamas violently eject Fatah from Gaza in June 2007, spilling into Egypt.
Cairo is worried about a repetition of the chaotic scenes last January, when hundreds of thousands of Gazans broke through the Rafah border crossing and the Israeli lockdown on the territory, to spend a few days shopping in Egypt.
Following the breach, in August Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman began hosting inter-Palestinian talks involving 13 factions, including Fatah and Hamas, in the hope of reaching a consensus on a unity government.
A deal was almost reached that would have seen a technocrat government set up without Fatah or Hamas figures that would be acceptable to the international community, much of which boycotts Hamas.
Yousif Al Qassar
