Hamas says Egypt no longer fit to 'sponsor Palestinian cause'

Palestinian movement Hamas on Wednesday denounced remarks by an Egyptian government minister who warned that Egypt would arrest any Hamas members found on its soil.

Hamas "strongly condemns such remarks and their possible implications," group spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement.

"Such comments are an insult to Egypt and the Arab nation, which supports the Palestinian resistance [against Israeli occupation]," he added.

"Egypt seems to no longer be a sponsor of the Palestinian cause – a role it is no longer fit to play, given its recent remarks," Abu Zuhri asserted.

Egyptian Justice Minister Mahfouz Saber told state daily Al-Ahram al-Massai on Tuesday that the Egyptian authorities would arrest any Hamas member found in the country.

Saber's comments followed a preliminary court ruling designating Hamas a "terrorist" group.

Egypt has played a prominent role in fostering talks between Hamas and rival Palestinian faction Fatah since the former assumed control of the Gaza Strip in mid-2007.

It also hosted cease-fire talks last summer between Palestinian factions and Israel, which eventually ended Israel's 51-day military onslaught on the Gaza Strip that left some 2,160 Palestinians – mostly civilians – dead.

Relations deteriorated dramatically between Egypt and Hamas in 2013 soon after the ousting of elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi by the army.

The Egyptian court designated Hamas a "terrorist" group over claims that it had carried out attacks in Egypt via tunnels linking the Sinai Peninsula to the Gaza Strip.

In March of 2014, the same Egyptian court outlawed Hamas' activities in Egypt and shut its Cairo offices.

At the time, the court had said the ban would be temporary until another court – which is currently trying ousted President Morsi for alleged "collaboration" with Hamas – delivered its final verdict.

Last month, an Egyptian court declared the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, a "terrorist" organisation.

A number of Hamas members have been among the defendants in two trials that Morsi – a Muslim Brotherhood leader – currently faces for alleged espionage and jailbreak.

Egypt's media blames Hamas, an ideological offshoot of Egypt's Brotherhood, for a series of deadly attacks on security forces that have occurred since Morsi's overthrow.

Hamas has consistently denied the allegations.

Hamas beefs up security on Gaza border with Egypt

Meanwhile, the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry has been beefing up security arrangements along the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt for several days now.

Troops deployed along the border have set up barriers made of sacks of sand around their positions.

These measures have been taken because the Interior Ministry wants to impose tighter control over the border, according to a source at the Palestinian Homeland Security Agency, a department of the Interior Ministry.

"We had to beef up security on the border after the Egyptian army opened fire on the Gaza Strip more than once," the source told AA on condition of anonymity.

He added that Egyptian fire had targeted checkpoints on the Palestinian side of the border.

In February, Gaza's Interior Ministry accused the Egyptian army of opening fire on the Palestinian side of the border.

However, an Egyptian army source denied this charge.

"The Egyptian army has never done this before," the source told AA at the time. "If we do it today, we will declare it."

The source said homeland security personnel deployed on the border with Egypt had only taken positions 100 meters from the border so they would not be exposed to potential Egyptian gunfire.

He added that the sand barriers had been set up for this purpose.

"The measures aim first and foremost at protecting personnel deployed on the border," the source told AA.

He revealed that Gaza's Interior Ministry had a plan to increase the number of checkpoints on Gaza's shared border with Egypt.

Arab League: 'Palestinian resistance is not terrorism'

The Arab League is not concerned about the recent Egyptian court ruling designating Palestinian resistance faction Hamas a "terrorist organisation," an official at the pan-Arab body said Wednesday.

"The Arab League doesn't take positions based on rulings by local courts in any country," Arab League Assistant Secretary-General Mohamed Sobeih told reporters.

"I think it's inappropriate to deal with a strategic issue through a local court ruling; such issues should be addressed by joint Arab action," he said.

"Palestinian resistance is not terrorism under international law," Sobeih added while stressing the league's respect for Egypt's sovereignty.

Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Tuesday that his group was in touch with Egyptian officials in hopes of "rectifying" the Egyptian court verdict.

"Hamas is holding contacts with the Egyptian authorities in hopes of rectifying the court ruling… which was a major mistake," Haniyeh said.

The group warned that the ruling undermined Egypt's mediating role.

"This court ruling will prevent Egypt from intervening in Palestinian issues – especially in the Gaza Strip – and render it unfit to mediate these issues," Abu Zuhri said in a statement on Monday.