(Ha'aretz) Zvi Bar'el - An Egyptian court on Tuesday banned Hamas activity in Egypt and seize its offices and assets. This is one step before declaring Hamas a terrorist organization, which is how the Muslim Brotherhood is designated. The ban is basically a declarative step, since Hamas doesn't have any active institutions in Egypt. The court did not touch Hamas bank accounts. Nevertheless, the ruling is a significant statement that undermines the movement's legitimacy in Egypt, and reflects the Egyptian public's mindset since the overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood's regime, whose leadership is accused of conspiring with Hamas against the state. No less important is the closure Egypt has imposed on Gaza, which includes the opening of the Rafah crossing only three days every two weeks and the destruction of the smuggling tunnels, putting the Hamas regime on the brink of bankruptcy. Many government workers have not been paid for four months. (
2014-03-07 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive