Hamas leader praises Egypt’s Azhar for Gaza aid, stance on Jerusalem

The leader of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has praised Al-Azhar, Egypt’s most prominent authority on Sunni Islam, for its stance on the Palestine Question and Occupied Jerusalem.

The movement’s official website reported that Hamas’s leader Ismail Haniyeh had a phone conversation with Azhar’s Grand Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb in which he expressed appreciation of the religious body and the aid that it provides to Gaza’s people who have been living under a blockade imposed by Israel.

Haniyeh praised Azhar’s stance against the US decision to transfer its embassy in Israel to Occupied Jerusalem. He also spoke highly of a conference hosted by Azhar last January in support of Jerusalem.

He said that that position reflects Azhar’s historic role in the Muslim nation and its continuous support for the Palestinian cause, the website reported.

It took 116 dead Palestinians for Egypt to ease its siege on Gaza for a month

He also exchanged greetings with Tayeb on the occasion of the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

On his part, Tayeb greeted the Palestinian people for the start of Ramadan and stressed Azhar’s continuous support for Palestinian rights, including regarding Jerusalem.

The world influential Islamic body has recently adopted a syllabus on Jerusalem to be taught in its educational institutions, Sheikh Tayeb announced.

He added that Azhar will send a new aid convoy to Gaza soon.

The entity had lately sent aid to Gaza after Israeli forces killed 65 Palestinians and injured hundreds during major protests by Palestinians in Gaza.