Egypt has 'forfeited role' in Palestinian reconciliation

A senior member of the Hamas political bureau has said that Egypt’s decision to ban the activities of the Islamic Resistance Movement means that the government in Cairo has forfeited its role in Palestinian reconciliation. Dr Mahmoud Al-Zahar described this week’s legal judgement as a “political decision par excellence” with no real basis in reality.

The Cairo Court for Urgent Matters issued do its ruling on Tuesday in a lawsuit which demanded that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) should be considered as a terrorist organisation. All activities of the movement in Egypt were banned and it’s office was closed.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Al-Zahar said that the judgement is unfair as it was issued in the absence of Hamas’s lawyer. No evidence or documents were submitted about the “lies” of the lawyer, Samir Sabri, who initiated the lawsuit. He said that such a ruling, which criminalises Hamas, serves the interests of the Zionist occupation of Palestine, against which the movement is struggling.

“Hamas doesn’t have any money or headquarters in Egypt,” added Al-Zahar, “but there is an Israeli embassy there, and while Palestinians in need of medical treatment are blocked by the closure of the Rafah border crossing and essential goods are prevented from entering the Gaza Strip, Israelis can enter Egypt, without a visa, at the Taba crossing.”