Report: Hamas Stirring Up Violence in Egypt

Hamas is attempting to increase the level of violence in Egyptian demonstrations, according to a report in the Egyptian daily Al-Yawm Al-Sabahthat was translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). According to the report, Hamas terrorists were recently caught on their way to demonstrations.


Nine of the terrorists were nabbed in Suez City, and another two were caught in El-Arish.

Security forces believe the 11 were not alone, the paper said. More terrorists are believed to have infiltrated Sinai recently. There has also been movement in the other direction, as Hamas prisoners escape jail in Egypt while police are busy with the protests.

Hamas shares a platformwith the Muslim Brotherhood, an Egyptian opposition party that supports the demonstrations against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The Gaza-based terrorist group is in fact an offshoot of the Brotherhood, as is the Jordanian branchof the Muslim Brotherhood and the Israel-based Islamic Movement.

More than 300 people are thought to have been killed in riots in Egypt so far. The Muslim Brotherhood's favored candidate for president, former UN inspector Mohammed ElBaradei, recently told Mubarak that he must leave the country by Friday, a demand Mubarak has rejected.