Egypt rejected Israeli concessions made to Hamas

A former senior Israeli army general said he hope “Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah] Al-Sisi will be in power for many years to come” as he helps serve Israel’s interests, Haaretz reported.

“At present, we have an exceptional window of opportunity because the Egyptians hate Hamas,” the former Commander of the Central Command of the Israeli Army, Major General Gadi Shamni, said.

He went on to praise Al-Sisi’s policies towards the Gaza Strip, saying: “When they [the Egyptians] decided that they were going to eliminate the tunnels, they did just that.”

“Look what happened in Operation Cast Lead [2008-2009]. Fortunately the Egyptians were tough – because we rushed into all kinds of concessions.”

He added that Al-Sisi’s term as president of Egypt is the perfect time to put pressure on Hamas and weaken it. “For Hamas to want to change, it will have to feel an existential danger. That’s why the organisation needs to be pressured. At present, we have an exceptional window of opportunity because the Egyptians hate Hamas.”