Egypt to Hamas: Stop Rocket Fire, Avoid Iran-initiated War

According to Arab media, Egyptian authorities told a visiting Hamas delegation to halt rocket fire against Israel, and avoid being drawn into a potential wider conflict initiated by Iranian proxy Hizbullah in Lebanon. Cairo for months has been mediating between Israel and the Gaza Strip’s terrorist rulers in a bid to ease tensions along the restive shared border, the site of numerous recent conflagrations. In exchange, Egypt reportedly promised Hamas to increase the amount of humanitarian aid it permits into the enclave through the Rafah border crossing with the Sinai Peninsula. On Tuesday, four mortar shells were fired at southern Israel, to which the IDF responded by targeting a Hamas military site. In response to the flare-ups, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ordered the army to reduce by half the amount of fuel allowed to pass into Gaza; this, after he had a few days earlier green-lighted the transfer of tens of millions of dollars in Qatari cash to the Hamas-dominated territory.