On April 15, Egyptian analyst Tariq Hassan said Hamas was planning to
attack Egyptian soldiers. In a front page article in the Egyptian
state-owned daily Al Ahram, Hassan, quoting "reliable Palestinian sources,"
said Hamas has drafted a multi-stage plan that would hurt Egyptian
interests.
In the first stage, Hassan said, Hamas would attack Egyptian posts along
the Gaza border with mortar shells. Hamas would then fire machine guns
toward Egyptian troops.
Hassan said the last stage would be capped by a Hamas assault on
Egyptian border posts. He said Hamas would infiltrate the Sinai through the
network of tunnels that link the divided city of Rafah. Then, the Hamas
combatants would blow up some of the Egyptian police outposts and capture
others.
The sources said Hamas has been encouraging aligned militias to destroy
the border wall and infiltrate Sinai. They said Hamas has issued a religious
ruling, released by Khan Yunis preacher Abdul Al Rahman Al Qulab, that
permits the killing of Egyptian soldiers.
Hamas has also placed bombs along the border wall. The sources said
Hamas was waiting for orders from Iran and Syria.
"The most alarming aspect is Hamas's cooperation with the Muslim
Brotherhood," the source said. "We believe the Brotherhood has been
harboring Hamas operatives in both Sinai and around Cairo."