Hamas MP Mushir Al-Ma’sri believes Egypt will not cut its ties with Hamas, despite Egypt’s recent moves in that direction.
"We are not worried this would happen," Al-Ma’sri told The Media Line Wednesday morning from Egypt. "I do not believe Egypt would go ahead with such a move, because boycotting Hamas means boycotting the entire Palestinian people."
The recent developments in the Gaza Strip have caused a deterioration in relations between Hamas and the Egyptian authorities. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Tuesday signed a decision to transfer his country’s diplomatic mission from the Hamas-controlled Gaza to Ramallah, the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram reported. The decision is to be implemented in the next few days.
Earlier this week armed men from Hamas broke into the offices of the Egyptian security delegation in Gaza. The move was criticized by Egypt’s Intelligence Chief ‘Umar Suleiman, who referred to it as an assault on Egypt’s territory.
Head of the Egyptian security delegation to Gaza, Burhan Hammad, subsequently returned to Cairo, where he held a meeting with Suleiman. Suleiman is now looking into the possibility of preventing Hamas leaders from entering Egypt, diplomatic sources told the London-based daily A-Quds Al-‘Arabi.
"We ask Egypt to continue observing what is going on in the Palestinian lands in an objective manner, without leaning to any side, as this neither serves the Egyptian interests, nor the Palestinian people’s interests," Al-Ma’sri said.
Regarding the transfer of the Egyptian diplomatic delegation to Ramallah, Al-Ma’sri said it was "an internal Egyptian matter."
Al-Ma’sri says that during his visit to Cairo he has not met any Egyptian officials regarding the recent developments, nor has he been appointed to do so by the parliament.