Al-Sisi admits Hamas is not terrorist, says Al-Zahar

Member of the political bureau of Hamas movement Mahmoud Al-Zahar said that remarks by Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi regarding his movement constitute a testimony that Hamas is not a terrorist group.

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Monday, Al-Zahar stressed that Hamas is not related to the Anasr Bait Al-Maqdes group, and that Egyptian security agencies are well aware of this fact.

“We challenge anyone in Egypt or outside it to prove that Hamas has anything to do with the violence in Sinai,” he said.

“Egyptian Intelligence is aware of what’s happening in Sinai, and has never blamed Hamas,” he added. “Communication between Hamas and the Egyptian intelligence is ongoing and has not been interrupted.”

Regarding the Rafah crossing, Al-Zahar said the situation there has improved, particularly for travellers heading to Pilgrimage or Umra in Makkah.

He dismissed the decision to cancel his Egyptian citizenship as “political” confirming that he obtained citizenship according to sound legal measures, and that he lived in Egypt for 20 years without committing any legal offence.