Haniyyah: Palestinian-Egyptian relations are unbreakable

The Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyyah, on Sunday stressed the strength of Palestinian-Egyptian relations saying, “No one can spoil them.”

The PM firmly ruled out any threat that Gaza and its residents could pose to Egyptian national security. “Palestine, Gaza and Hamas will continue being a defense barrier for Egypt and its stability,” he said.

Haniyyah made the assertion at the inauguration speech of ‘The First International Conference for Youth and the Palestinian Cause in Light of the Arab Spring’ being held in Gaza. The Conference is organized by the Islamic Bloc, Hamas’ student body and representatives of 25 Arabic and Islamic NGOs are in attendance.

Hamas and its military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, have been exposed to a defamation campaign by the Egyptian media since last July 2012, when 17 Egyptian soldiers were killed at the Egyptian borders with Israel.

However, numerous Egyptian and Arab military analysts have publically said that Israel is likely the perpetrator of the massacre. However, the majority of Egypt’s private and public mass media blame Hamas or militants from Gaza for it.

Praising Arab sympathy towards Palestine and the Palestinian issue, Haniyyah said: “The connection of Jerusalem with the Arabic revolutions is not strange, neither is the presence of Palestine in all arenas of the various revolutions.”

Referring to the deposed regimes, Haniyyah said: “Anger burst in the face of everyone opposed to the Palestinian issue.”

Haniyyah said that the Palestinians have much hope in the Arab revolutions, but added: “We feel worried when we watch and listen to news about anti-revolutions which try to undermine the great achievements. This is because we (the Palestinians) are the losers.”

He stressed that the progress of the Arabs towards freedom means more progressive steps towards liberating Palestine. “Israel is becoming more furious as its strategic treasures fade,” he said. “As such, it supports counter-revolution in an effort to bring its supporters at the head of Arabic nations back.”

The Egyptian army is carrying out a campaign against the tunnels between the Gaza Strip and Northern Sinai. The tunnels are considered a lifeline to Gazans who have been under strict Israeli siege since 2006.

Officials in Gaza said that the Egyptian government has not discussed the issue of the tunnels with them and made no complaint against them either.

However, Palestinian traders have said that dozens of the tunnels have been destroyed by the Egyptian without anyone knowing the reason why.