Global General

Hamas assessing ties with Egypt following border standoff

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-01-11 20:05
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GAZA: Hamas is drawing up a plan to face future consequences of what appears to be a shift in Egypt's strategy towards the Islamic movement and the Gaza Strip it controls, sources said on Monday.

The plan was needed after Egypt started building an underground barrier with its borders with Gaza to curb smuggling in what observers said it was an Egyptian response to Hamas' refusal to sign a proposal Cairo had offered to reconcile Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

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Such barrier would cut hundreds of tunnels considered to be Gaza's key lifeline since Israel sealed off commercial crossings leading to the coastal enclave when Hamas seized power there in 2007. Without tunnels, it would be difficult for Hamas to bring in cash and arms to fuel its rule.

As a result, the sources said that Hamas has formed a committee comprising political and military leaders that "will complete studying the situation" and coming up with recommendations soon.

"The committee will put a mechanism for field and political activities that could be made" to overcome the Egyptian steps, the sources told Xinhua.

The plan would try to secure that consumer products and household items would continue to flow through the tunnels "since this relaxes public pressure on Hamas" without escalating the crisis with Egypt, according to the sources.

The committee is working quietly and basing its work on intensive, in-depth discussions since its recommendations would be met seriously.

In January 2008, the Israeli siege reached its highest and tunnels were not yet operating on large scale. At the time, Hamas blew up the Egyptian border wall and allowed hundreds of thousands of Gazans into Sinai to stock up on everything they could find. The observers think that Hamas may repeat this scenario despite Egyptian vows not to tolerate any attempt to break the borders.

Last week, an Egyptian soldier was gunned down during clashes between Hamas supporters, protesting the underground barrier, and the Egyptian security forces on the borderline.

The sources have denied reports that Cairo won't allow Hamas leaders to travel out from Gaza through its territories unless they hand out militants suspected of shooting the soldier. However, he acknowledged that mediators failed to calm down the situation since Egypt refused high-profile contacts with Hamas.