Egypt to Hamas: We're Coming for You

Egypt to Hamas: We're Coming for You 

Israel Today 19-Jan-14 

In a scenario Israelis would have found too far-fetched to believe just a few years ago, Egypt is set to become the Jewish state's new best friend in the fight against Hamas terrorism. 

Having finally put down the Muslim Brotherhood after its hijacking of the 2011 pro-democracy revolution, the Egyptian military has been making not-so-subtle threats against the Palestinian terror group. 

Hamas is an off-shoot of and closely aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood. When senior Muslim Brotherhood official Mohammed Morsi briefly became Egypt's president, Hamas-ruled Gaza erupted in celebration. 

The new military rulers in Cairo know that they cannot be truly done with the Muslim Brotherhood without eradicating the Hamas threat, too. 

Since last summer, the Egyptian army has destroyed over 1,200 tunnels running under the Sinai-Gaza border, dealing a severe blow to the Hamas economy. 

Now, officials in Cairo say the regime intends to launch a series of campaigns to undermine Hamas' legitimacy in Palestinian society and put the group on the run. 

Egypt will reportedly begin bolstering Hamas' rivals in Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction, while also instigating in Gaza the same kind of street rallies that brought down Morsi's government. 

Hamas officials in Gaza called the Egyptian threats "delusional." 

Meanwhile, Israel is remaining relatively mum on the development. But during a press conference in Jerusalem last week, Dov Weissglas, former chief of staff to Ariel Sharon, said Israelis had to "pinch themselves" to make sure they weren't dreaming when first reading the news of Egypt's shift.