Egyptian officials have asked Hamas to help maintain security and order in the Sinai Peninsula, an official told Arabi21.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Most of the discussion conducted between the Hamas delegation to Cairo and the Egyptian officials was about the situation in Sinai and how to maintain security and order there.”
According to the source, no written agreement was signed but discussions were held regarding closing the remaining tunnels between Gaza and Sinai.
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“It was clear throughout the discussions how much pressure Egypt faces in Sinai,” the official said, noting that the Egyptians were eager to cooperate with Hamas in this regard.
Meanwhile, the source said that the Egyptians proposed reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah official Mohamed Dahlan, who reports claimed was in Cairo during the Hamas delegation’s visit.
For his part, senior Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya, who was part of the group’s delegation to Cairo, said that his movement is eager to see a “safe and stable” Egypt, stressing that the organisation is not at all interested in interfering with Egypt’s internal affairs.
“Under no circumstances would we allow any harm to come to Egypt and its people from Gaza,” Al-Hayya said in a statement. “It is our duty to protect the borders between Gaza and Egypt and take all the necessary measures to keep them safe.”
Head of the Hamas delegation to Cairo, Mousa Abu-Marzouk wrote on Facebook: “We made it clear to the Egyptians that the Gaza Strip is the most harmed by the lack of security in Sinai,” noting that Hamas’s visit to Cairo has many consequences.
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