Tag Archives: Hamas

Egyptian Military Killed 53 Islamic State Fighters During Operation

On February 9th the Egyptian military launched an operation against the Islamic State (IS) focused on defeating them in the Sinai peninsula. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the armed forces in November of 2017 to defeat the IS-Sinai affiliate within three months after an attack on a mosque in north Sinai killed 300 people.

The campaign covers north and central Sinai as well as the parts of the Nile Delta and the western desert that runs along the border with Libya, authorities say that Islamic State fighters as well as smugglers use this route into the country.

The official spokesperson of the armed forces Tamer al-Refai announced on February 15th that after the first six days of the operation 53 IS members have been killed. While another 680 “criminal elements” have been arrested. Al-Refai added that 378 hideouts used for medical, arms, and explosive materials had been destroyed as well as 177 explosive devices have been neutralized.

The IS-Sinai has had substantial success in this region of Egypt for the last few years for several reasons. IS-Sinai developed out of Ansar Bait al-Maqdis (ABM) after the group pledged allegiance to the IS and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2014. There are also thought to be at least four al Qaeda-aligned groups active in the area.

The goal of these groups in Sinai is to create a breakaway state that adheres to the same rules ISIL imposed on people under their control. The Egyptian military has had trouble in the past controlling these groups in Sinai in part because of the transient nature of the flow of people and goods in the area.

The IS has also had success in the region due to cooperation with Hamas through the underground tunnels that connect the Gaza Strip to Sinai. The IS helps smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip and Hamas helps train IS fighters.

But in early 2018 the IS reportedly declared war on Hamas apparently ending their relationship. The IS claims it stopped supporting Hamas because Hamas receives support from Iran.

Current Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently visited Egypt on February 12th and spoke with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry with counterterrorism being one of the primary focuses.

Tillerson said on Monday that Washington stands with Egypt on its fight against the IS, before briefly touching upon the upcoming Egyptian election in March. Tillerson stated that the US supports a credible and transparent election in Egypt. The President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is running against a single challenger during the March 26-28th election, though he is expected to win comfortably.

 

 

 

Hamas Continues Attacks on Israeli Citizens, US Places Sanctions

On February 6th, in the village of Yamun near Jenin, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Security Forces (ISA) killed Hamas commander Ahmed Nasser Jarrar in a raid in the early morning. Ahmed Jarrar was a leader of Hamas’s Izz al-Din al Qassam Brigades. Hamas praised Jarrar following the announcement of his death.

According to the IDF, the building Jarrar was found inside was surrounded by security forces. Jarrar armed with an M-16 rifle emerged from the building and was shot dead.

Following the raid, Israeli security forces clashed with dozens of Palestinians. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent two Palestinians were wounded by rubber bullets and 7 Palestinians were hurt from inhaling tear gas. No Israeli forces were reported injured.

Israeli security officials held Ahmed Jarrar responsible for the January 9th drive by shooting which killed Rabbi Raziel Shevach on the road near his home. Shevach was in his car when men opened fire on him.

Ahmed Nassar Jarrar is the son of Nassar Jarrar, Nassar was a senior Hamas commander and was the leader of Hamas’s forces in Jenin, playing a significant role in the 2nd Intifada until he was killed by Israeli troops in 2002.

This is not the only incident of a Rabbi being murdered this year in Israel. On February 5th a Rabbi named Itamar Ben-Gal was violently stabbed to death at a bus stop outside of the city of Ariel. Israeli security forces believe a man named Abed al-Karim Adel Assi who is linked with the Palestinian Authority (PA) carried out the murder.

President Netanyahu referenced the successful Israeli operation “determined and complex” in a statement, highlighting the raid as an example of Israeli justice.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh vowed that attacks would continue, referencing the “liberation of Jerusalem” Jerusalem has been front and center of Hamas’ calls for action following an operation on the Temple Mount killed two Israeli police officers in July of last year; and has remained a propaganda focus following the announcement of the U.S. decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.

Over the last month the US has laid out new sanctions that target individuals and entities connected to Hamas, including Haniyeh. The designations are at least partially in response to news that Haniyeh was the preferred Hamas leader of the Iranians, who have renewed financial support of the Palestinian terror group.

The US Treasury Department placed Haniyeh on a sanctions blacklist that will freeze any US based asset he may have and prohibit any individual or company from doing business with him.

Haniyeh has said that these sanctions delegitimatize the US as a peace broker between Israel and Palestine. Hamas reacted to the sanctions by saying it shows the “depth” of US bias toward Israel.

It seems likely that continued low level terror attacks by Hamas will continue against Israeli targets, as part of a long running campaign that has sometimes been called the “knife intifada” due to the relatively unsophisticated attack methods that have been prevalent. Still it seems unlikely that Hamas would choose to substantially escalate this low intensity conflict with Israel in the short term, as it continues to reestablish ties to its Iranian backers.

New Orleans City Council Aligns With Pro-HAMAS Movement

Originally posted on The Hayride

Last week, in a shamefully concealed ploy designed to stifle public input, the New Orleans City Council passed a measure targeting Israel with the so-called Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement.

As reported by Senator Conrad Appel on The Hayride last week, this development is especially puzzling given the myriad of problems—crime, economic development, a rapidly disappearing tax base—facing the Crescent City’s policymakers.

But what the clearly anti-semitic members of the New Orleans City Council are probably far too ignorant to know is that they have now aligned themselves with a movement with ties to an officially designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO): HAMAS.

HAMAS is a vicious Jihadist organization that has carried out numerous “martyrdom operations” (suicide bombings) against civilian targets in Israel. HAMAS was also co-founded by the same man who co-founded Al Qaeda with Osama Bin Laden, Abdullah Azzam. (As an aside, the Palestinians have named a boys elementary school after Azzam.)

The BDS Movement and HAMAS share the same goal: the elimination of Israel.

HAMAS officials have publicly expressed appreciation and support for the BDS movement, which they see as a means to isolate and undermine Israel in the world community. Thus far, their efforts have been largely unsuccessful in the United States, with the New Orleans City Council being a notable exception.

HAMAS jihadists, such as Izzat al-Risheq, have previously criticized the Obama administration for refusing to support the BDS movement.

According to the Gatestone Institute, HAMAS jihadist Ahmed Bahr specifically called for international organizations to coordinate the BDS campaign to “isolate” Israel and force it to “succumb” to their demands. Like al-Risheq, Bahr also lashed out at the Obama administration for refusing to support the BDS movement.

So, the New Orleans City Council has allied itself with a movement that the Obama administration refused to support. So they can’t claim that this is a protest against Trump administration policies.

But the ties between the New Orleans City Council’s friends in the BDS movement and HAMAS are much more direct than this.

Former US Treasury Department terrorism analyst Jonathan Schanzer has uncovered that no fewer than 7 individuals who work for the BDS movement previously worked for entities that were shut down for providing material support for HAMAS or were held civilly liable for same. These include three Islamic charities that were shut down for funding Jihadist terrorism, including HAMAS.

The definition of material support for terrorism included “intangible services.”

Given the connections of the BDS movement to HAMAS and the aid and comfort that has been provided by the City Council’s resolution, could a case can be made that the New Orleans City Council is now the first U.S. government entity to, as a matter of policy, to provide material support for terrorism?

What a terrible mark for the city.

Christopher W. Holton is Vice President for Outreach at the Center for Security Policy.

Hamas Is Here: New Center Monograph Documents The Jihadist Network Inside The United States

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HAMAS has long been known as a Middle East terror organization that declares in its foundational Covenant that the obliteration of Israel is its raison d’etre and regularly fires missiles and digs tunnels across the border from Gaza to make that happen. But until now, its extensive networked presence here in the United States has been less well-understood, largely because of HAMAS’ success in disguising its operations through an array of front groups.

To cut through the web of HAMAS deceit, veteran Middle East analyst and author Ilana Freedman brings another volume in the Center for Security Policy Press’ Civilization Jihad Reader series, HAMAS, CAIR & the Muslim Brotherhood. As she explains in her highly readable yet fact-rich style, the Muslim Brotherhood (of which HAMAS is the Palestinian franchise) sought to expand into this country soon after World War II. But it really established a solid foothold with the founding in 1993 of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) by the top HAMAS operatives in the United States at the time.

As Freedman explains in her in-depth treatment of the 2008 Holy Land Foundation/HAMAS terror funding trial, while CAIR may be the most directly tied of the HAMAS branches inside the U.S., hundreds of other Brotherhood front groups all share the same objective, as spelled out in the Brotherhood’s 1991 Explanatory Memorandum. That objective is “destroying…Western Civilization from within and sabotaging its miserable house by their hands [meaning those of the infidels]….” Unlike in the Middle East, where HAMAS’ Gaza operation confronts Israel kinetically and constantly, inside the U.S., the preferred method thus far has been “civilization jihad” – the stealthy, subversive use of infiltration, subversion and deception to pursue the destruction of the pillars of American society “from within.” By posing as “moderate” Islamic alternatives to the vicious violence of the likes of al Qaeda, the Islamic State or Taliban, the U.S. Brotherhood front groups have enjoyed remarkable success in advancing this agenda.

That is largely because Americans are all-too-often are unprepared to recognize deceit when it is employed in a sustained, disciplined fashion by skilled professionals. Consequently, as documented in a number of CSP Press’ other Civilization Jihad Reader Series offerings, key U.S. constituencies – notably, in academia, the courts and legal system, faith communities, government at all levels, local law enforcement and society in general – have failed to recognize that they are under assault by Brotherhood-associated individuals and groups. This is all the more shocking given that the latter’s loyalty to the triumph of Islam’s supremacist Sharia doctrine and to jihad to establish its dominance worldwide is of a piece with the ambitions of other jihadist groups.

Ilana Freedman cuts through such confusion, cognitive dissonance and willful blindness to exposes one group after another that represent themselves as not-for-profit organizations, Muslim advocacy representatives, or legitimate businesses for the jihadist front group they really are. For example, in addition to CAIR, she highlights the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Muslim American Society (MAS), the Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPAC), the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) and many more tied to the Muslim Brotherhood by the Department of Justice in the Holy Land Foundation trial.

Of particular importance is Freedman’s examination of how the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood has evolved with its formation in 2014 of the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO). Her analysis of the USCMO’s known links not only to jihadist fronts but to groups like Black Lives Matter and the Saul Alinsky-type anarchists that cluster under the name “Antifa” is especially timely as we see these apparently disparate groups form connections in a common drive to destroy America’s constitutional Republic. In addition, Freedman connects all these dots to national level donors and funders who enable such subversive operations to function.

In the following video, Center for Security Policy Vice President for Research and Analysis, Clare Lopez, who serves as the editor-in-chief of the “Terror Jihad” collection and its companion, the “Civilization Jihad Readers Series,” introduces the Center’s new monograph, HAMAS, CAIR & the Muslim Brotherhood.

Upon the publication of Ilana Freedman’s new monograph, Center’s President, Frank J. Gaffney, observed:

The damage to U.S. national security wrought by the subversive operations of HAMAS and other Muslim Brotherhood groups is less immediately visible than acts of violent terrorism. But in the long-term, it is these civilization jihadists’ relentless corrosion of the pillars of America’s society that poses the most grave threat to our Republic.

The Center is pleased to present the latest addition to our Civilization Jihad Reader series, HAMAS, CAIR & the Muslim Brotherhood as an important contribution to exposing and countering this insidious peril inside our country.

Israel Closes Border Crossings Into Gaza

On December 14th, the Israeli military carried out strikes in Gaza targeting Hamas facilities and announced it will close border crossings into Gaza until further notice in response to rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel.

This decision comes just over a week after President Trump announced, on December 6th, that the U.S. will officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the U.S. embassy will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. After Trump’s announcement, protests were organized in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the decision drew criticism from during an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Turkey on December 13th, and several U.S. allies have come out against the decision.

The two crossings, Kerem Shalom and Erez are the only two crossings left on the Israeli border with Gaza. Kerem Shalom is the main crossing point used to move supplies and goods in and out of Gaza and Erez is a pedestrian crossing. Closing these border crossings will tighten the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

The only other crossing into Gaza is on the Egyptian border. The border crossing was most recently scheduled to be reopened by Egypt on November 25th, but has remained closed following an attack on a mosque in Sinai that killed at least 300 civilians. Egypt has previously canceled planned openings of the border crossing, citing an unstable security situation in the country. Egypt blames Hamas for providing fighters and training to jihadist groups targeting Egyptian security forces and civilians. Egypt has rarely opened the crossing since the 2013 removal of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and close ally of Hamas.

About 15 rockets have been fired towards Israel since Trump’s announcement. While Israeli defense forces believe that Islamic Jihad fighters are responsible for the rocket fire, they hold Hamas solely responsible for the strikes because Hamas’ forces control the territory.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has called for a new intifada against Israel in the wake of the Embassy decision. The terrorist organization urged Palestinians to protest at the border fence. Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli riot police resulted in at least 2 Palestinians dead and dozens injured. Additionally an Israeli border guard was injured in a stabbing attack by a Palestinian wearing what appeared to be a suicide bomb vest, which did not detonate.

During these tensions, Hamas is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the group’s founding. The organization was created by the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in order to participate in attacks on Israel, and to provide an Islamist alternative to the Palestinian nationalist PLO. Efforts by the Muslim Brotherhood to establish an armed group culminated with Hamas’ participation in the 1st Intifada in 1987. The group continues to deny the existence of a state of Israel, oppose the peace process, and to promote attacks against Israelis. Hamas swears to force the U.S. to reverse its decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Haniyeh also called on all Arab and Muslim nations to set aside every Friday for days of rage until the U.S. reverses its decision.

Despite Hamas’ rhetoric, it is uncertain if another intifada is likely, since Hamas suffered severe setbacks following the 2014 Israeli-Gaza conflict, after Israeli forces retaliated for a Hamas operation which kidnapped and killed 3 Israeli teenagers. Hamas is facing strained relations with other Arab states, due to wider regional tensions between an Arab coalition of states led by Saudi Arabia, and Hamas’ patrons, which include Iran, Turkey and Qatar.

Israeli Defense Forces Destroy a Terror Tunnel Along the Gaza Strip

The Israeli Defense Forces killed at least eight and wounded at least 12 Palestinians, while destroying a terror tunnel in a southern town near the Gaza Strip on October 31st.  7 of the individuals killed were identified as terrorists. The tunnel stretched from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory, and the explosion took place on Israeli lines adjacent to the security fence between the border.

Of the individuals killed the Ministry of Health in Gaza identified  five of them to be senior member of the al-Quds Brigades, which is a wing of the terrorist group the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The other two individuals were both identified as commanders in Hamas’ Izz Eddine al-Qassam Brigades. The IDF spokesman said there had been “no intention in any way or at any stage” to intentionally target the senior field commanders from the terror group.

Hamas as not claimed that the tunnel is theirs, but in a statement the terror group said the Israeli action was aimed at undermining the reconciliation agreement. Islamic Jihad leader, Mohammad al Hindi said, “the truce with the enemy is over and the response will be the size of the crime.”

The reconciliation agreement  in was recently signed on October 12th between Hamas and Fatah, in Egypt. The agreement stated that the groups will form a joint police force and merge their ministries, as well as lift sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip.

One of IDF’s major goal has been identifying and destroying the tunnels in the Gaza Strip.

Since 2008, Israel has launched three offensives on the Gaza Strip. The most recent one was named Operation Protective Edge was a 50-day campaign that took place in the summer of 2014. The operation was primarily airstrikes which were in response to repeated rocket attacks fired from the Gaza Strip. The operation resulted in an estimated 2,100 Palestinian deaths. During the Operation the underground system was used to attack Israeli troops near the border with Gaza as well as hide from the airstrikes.

During the campaign it was reported that the IDF destroyed at least 34 tunnels.

Since  the 2014 Gaza war, on average one or two rockets are fired from Gaza into Israel each month. They have primarily been fired by al-Qaeda and the Islamic State acting in the area, however, Hamas has controlled the strip since 2007.

Hamas has been working to construct tunnels that are linked to combat tunnels throughout the Gaza Strip since 2014. The group has dug an extensive network for moving fighters around the Strip underground. As of February 2017, Hamas has constructed at least 15 new attack tunnels that reach into Israeli territory.

The tunnels are a major threat for the IDF and civilians, because they can bring Hamas and other terror group fighters into Israeli communities that border Gaza and attack the villages much more easily. The tunnels also act as a safe space for the terror group to mobilize more effectively.

Reconciliation Agreement Between Hamas and Fatah

On October 12th, Egypt brokered a reconciliation agreement between the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority and Hamas in an attempt to end the long rift between the two groups.

The Palestinians have seen multiple attempts at reconciliation in the past, but they have never been successful. This agreement only focused on civil and administrative matters, topics such as national elections and whether Hamas will disband its main military wing have not yet been decided.

Through the agreement, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) will form a joint police force of at least 5,000 officers, and merge their ministries. The PA will lift sanctions that it imposed on Gaza this year as part of its effort to pressure Hamas into talks, which included cutting electricity to Gaza and refusing to pay government salaries. Hamas will cede control of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt to the PA.

This agreement comes a month after Hamas dissolved the Gaza administrative committee to allow a Palestinian unity government to work in its place in an attempt to begin reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.

Conflict between Hamas and Fatah began in 2007 after Hamas won the election in 2006 but Fatah refused to accept the results, so Hamas forcefully took control of Gaza.

Hamas and Fatah attempted reconciliation in 2011 but no action was taken to enforce the agreement. The two groups signed another reconciliation agreement in 2014 and formed a government together, but within weeks the agreement fell apart because a new war between Hamas and Israel intervened.

In 2008, 2012, and 2014 rocket fire from Hamas on Israel and Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip led to wars between the two groups.

Israel objects to any reconciliation that does not include accepting international agreements, recognizing Israel as a state and disarming Hamas. Israelis believes that peace will be harder to achieve if Hamas and the PA reconcile because of Hamas’s position as a terrorist group which refuses to recognize the state of Israel. Mutual recognition was fundamental to the Oslo negotiations with the PLO which established the Palestinian Authority.

Egypt is attempting to stop an insurgency that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State in its Sinai Peninsula. It has accused Hamas of aiding the insurgents by allowing them to cross the border for medical treatment. Through the new agreement, Egypt can pressure Hamas to protect Egyptian security.

The U.S. has shown support for the reconciliation agreement and welcomes efforts to create conditions for the PA to assume full control of Gaza. Similar to Israel though, the U.S. says that any agreement needs create a government that commits to non-violence, recognizes Israel and accepts past agreements and obligations between the two parties.

President Trump wants to create an ultimate deal between the Palestinian authority and Israel and sees the unity government as a necessary step to bring about peace talks. Unless Hamas cedes full control of Gaza and disbands its forces, the U.S. won’t be able to bring up peace talks however, because it can’t publicly negotiate with a terrorist group.

This isn’t the first attempt at reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah so it is unclear whether this time might be different.

While Hamas dissolving its administrative committee shows that it is actually willing to change, the group is still unwilling to disband its armed forces. The Palestinian Authority is set to take full control of Gaza by December. If reconciliation fails, there is the possibility of renewed violence between Hamas and Israel, based on the pattern of attacks following failed recognition agreements in the past.

Palestinian Gunman Praised After Killing Three Israelis

Three Israelis were killed and another injured by a Palestinian gunman in Har Adar, a Jerusalem suburb which straddles the 1949 armistice line, on September 26th. The attack occurred when security guards opened a gate to admit Palestinian laborers with permits into the settlement in the morning.  The attacker who was shot dead, Nimr Mahmoud Ahmed Jamal, held a work permit. Jamal regularly worked in Har Adar cleaning houses.

The Har Adar is an upscale community west of Jerusalem and known for its good relations with its Palestinian neighbors. Typically, 150 Palestinian laborers enter the community every day for work.

Hamas, the terrorist group that controls the Gaza strip welcomed the attack. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem  said “Once again Jerusalem proves that it is at the heart of the conflict with the occupation, and that there is no way to get it out of the equation of the conflict.”

Fatah, led by Palestinian Authority  President Mahmoud Abbas, also officially designated Jamal a “martyr.” The Palestinian Authority pays annual financial compensation  to terrorists and their family members who conduct terror attacks against Israelis. The continued payment of terrorist salaries has been a sore point between the Palestinian Authority and the U.S. Congress.

The attack took place while the United States Envoy Jason Greenblatt  was in the Jerusalem discussing the relaunch of the Arab-Israeli peace process. Greenblatt issued a statement saying he was horrified and calling for unity against terror.

Since October of 2015, Palestinians have killed 51 Israelis, two Americans and a British tourist in stabbing, shootings and car-ramming attacks. Israeli forces have killed over 255 Palestinians, most of who most were killed during an attack of terror, or during clashes with Israeli forces.

At the peak of violence in September 2016, there were 480 attacks total, which included stabbings, shootings, car ramming, roadside bombings, stone throwing, and Molotov cocktails.

This attack has been one of the deadliest in the past two-year spate of violence and comes at a tense period during an important Jewish holiday.

In July of 2017 there was a spark of terrorist attacks and violent protests which occurred in Jerusalem’s old city at the Temple Mount/ Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. On July 14th  two Israeli police officers were killed by three Palestinians which Hamas claimed as a “heroic act”, and on July 21st  three Palestinians were killed by Israeli police and injured close to 400 others Palestinian protesters at the holy site.

The frequency of these attacks have lessened, however, with the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur nearing, could spark a new wave of violence, or lead to more attacks at the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Hamas faced with electricity Crisis but Egypt offers to help

The Israeli government cut electricity to Gaza Sunday night at the request of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which seeks to apply pressure on Hamas, its political rival. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is from ruling Fatah party, which is an arch-rival of Hamas.

Hamas has controlled Gaza strip for the last decade since violently seizing control in 2007.  A PA spokesman stated PA plans to serve the people in Gaza and called Hamas to turn over all the responsibilities of government in that region back to PA.

For the last decade, due to the internal rivalry, Palestine has not had a congressional or presidential election. PA is trying to exert pressure on Hamas by refusing to pay their electricity bill.

Egypt is taking advantage of the opportunity and has offered Hamas relief in the electricity crisis in exchange for returning 17 wanted men charged by Egypt on terrorism, halting smuggle of weapons in Sinai, and information on militants’ activities in Gaza that use underground tunnels.

Gaza has already had chronic power shortages with 12 hours a day supply for residences. PA informed Israel in April that it would only pay $25 million of the $40 million of monthly electricity bill for Gaza.

Israel provides about 30% of Gaza’s electricity.  Currently, Gaza has power for about four to six hours. Business, household water supply, and medical facilities are all impacted with this crisis. The World Bank has called this a humanitarian disaster.

It is not clear how Egypt would be able to assist Gaza with its power crisis. Under best conditions, Egypt can provide 6% of electricity to Gaza for a full day of usage. However, according to Israel Defense Forces, Egypt has had malfunctions with its power equipment, which have caused it incapable of providing power to Gaza lately.

Hamas threatened Israel by stating that reduction in power would have “disastrous and dangerous” results.

President Netanyahu distanced Israel from the power crisis calling it an internal dispute between Hamas and PA where Hamas and PA disagree as to who should pay the electricity bill for Gaza. Netanyahu also indicated that the Israelis do not intend to escalate with Hamas.

Since 2013, when Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood government under President Mohammed Morsi was overthrown, relations between Egypt and Hamas have deteriorated. The Muslim Brotherhood is  parent organization to Hamas, and the Egyptian government holds Hamas responsible for supporting Muslim Brotherhood–backed terror attacks in the country.

Egypt does not trust Hamas, but Hamas attempted to soften Egyptian anger at Hamas by claiming to distance themselves from with Muslim Brotherhood focusing on their role as a Palestinian movement intent on fighting only Israel.

The current Gulf crisis has made the situation more difficult for Hamas.  Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and other Gulf states have cut ties with Qatar accusing it of funding terrorist organizations. Qatar was a source of political and financial funding for Hamas.

Iran is a source of support for Hamas for many years, despite a brief interruption during when Hamas’ support for Syrian rebels frustrated the Iranian regime.

Will Hamas survive the political, social, and financial squeeze that is currently faced? It appears that Hamas is being cornered from different directions, and it’s losing allies in the region. The PA is working aggressively against it by undermining its presence in Gaza strip. Israel’s decision in cutting Gaza’s power can potentially raise the dissatisfaction among Palestinians against Hamas.

Interestingly, Aljazeera, a Qatar state controlled media organization known for its favorable reporting of various terrorist groups including Hamas questioned whether or not Hamas will be able to face this new storm.

Qatar is under pressure to distance itself from Hamas, and its own terror ties are currently the focus of the international community. Furthermore, Hamas is trying to publicly distinguish itself from Muslim Brotherhood that is the backbone of its financial, political, and militia support. Despite their differences in Syria, the recent developments may bring Hamas and Iran back in closer alliance as they both are being alienated by Arab nations. This strategy may allow Hamas to survive as it goes through the choppy waters of isolation in the Middle East.

Arab States Sever Ties with Qatar

On Monday, several Arab states cut ties with Qatar over accusations that the small gulf states intervenes in their affairs and supports terrorism in the region. Bahrain was the first nation that cut its ties with Qatar, and then Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Maldives followed suit and cut all their diplomatic ties with Qatar.

According to Saudi State News Agency (SPA), Bahrain cut its ties due to their belief that Qatar has meddled in its domestic affairs, and has funded terrorists’ groups associated with Iran.

Saudi Arabia severed land, sea, and air contacts with Qatar due to the violation of agreements signed under the umbrella of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The Saudis allege Qatar violated agreements to cease instigating hostility against Saudi Arabia and stop support of terrorist groups. The official Saudi statement made an effort to clarify that Saudi Arabia supports the people of Qatar but not the authorities in Doha.

Similarly, UAE, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and Maldives cut their diplomatic ties with Qatar to show their solidarity in fighting against terrorism and Qatar’s support of Islamist militias seeking to overthrow their regimes.

According to BBC, the most recent escalation came after reportedly Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, made a speech in late May 2017 criticizing the US, offering support for Iran and reaffirming their support of Muslim Brotherhood, and Hamas.

In addition, the Qatar News Agency reported that Qatar was going to withdraw support from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, and Egypt due to “conspiracy” against Qatar. While Qatar officials refuted the news, it damaged the relations between Qatar and the aforementioned states.

According to Politico,  Secretary Tillerson predicts that these actions will not have any impact in their unified actions with Gulf states against terrorism.

While the US works with Qatar militarily, the US has had tense relations with this state because of Qatari support for terrorists’ organizations.

In addition, Al-Jazeera, which is a Qatar-owned news agency continually, provides slanted news coverage in the Middle East causing concern for the US. According to the National Interest, this news agency provides a platform for Anti-American and Anti-Semitic sentiments and uses words such as “victims” and “martyrs” to describe terrorist operatives.

The tensions are nothing new to some of the Gulf states. In 2014, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and UAE withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar for several months protesting that Qatar was interfering in their affairs. According to BBC, wealthy individuals in Qatar have been known to provide donations to terrorism groups. Furthermore, the Qatar government has supported Islamist groups in Syria with money and weapons.

The move may impact petroleum markets, as Qatar is one of the world’s largest exporter of liquified gas. According to Qatar Tribune, Qatar can still access shipping routes to export its natural gas despite the severed relations with several Arab nations in the region. Qatar is the fourth largest producer of natural gas and oil, and it only has the following five Middle Eastern customers for its natural gas, which compromised 10% of the sales in 2016: Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, UAE, and Egypt.

The majority of its LGS is shipped to other parts of the world and this increased tension will not impact its exports significantly.

The cutting of ties by Arab states threatens to impact Qatar’s economy, food availability, cost of flights, and its construction plans for the World Cup in 2022. While Qatar is under fire from its neighboring Arab states, it has received the backing of Iran.

Qatar has been a supporter of Islamic groups such as Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas despite the opposition by other Arab states over the years. While these tensions are nothing new in the region, President Trump’s visit, two weeks ago, may have emboldened these Gulf states to take a stronger stance against Qatar by showing a united front to Qatar and the world.

President Trump expressed his support in one of his recent tweets by stating, “During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar – look!”

Kuwait has reportedly offered to mediate this tension, and Qatar is receptive to the offer. The plan is for Kuwait’s emir to go to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and meet with Saudi’s officials. It remains to be seen the impact of Kuwait in this regional conflict and whether or not Kuwait can truly remain neutral.

The cutting of diplomatic ties with Qatar should be a warning signal for any state that harbors or sponsors terrorism. The concerted effort by the Arab states is a step in the right direction in aiding the US in its fight against terrorism and in stabilizing the Middle East.