A report by Reuters this week quoting Egyptian security officials’ plans to dislodge Hamas from power in Gaza drew Hamas condemnation on Wednesday.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said in a statement quoted by The Palestinian Information Center website, that the reported statements were “very serious” and represent the first official admission of Egyptian involvement in internal Palestinian affairs.
The effort is aimed at destroying the Gaza resistance forces, which is an “illusion,” and in any case, these Arab parties should instead be mobilizing against Israel, he said.
After crushing the Muslim Brotherhood at home, Egypt's military rulers plan to undermine the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which runs the neighboring Gaza Strip, senior Egyptian security officials told Reuters on Tuesday.
The aim, which the officials say could take years to pull off, includes working with Hamas's political rivals Fatah and supporting popular anti-Hamas activities in Gaza, four security and diplomatic officials said.