Egyptian authorities release Hamas top security official

On 24th September, the Egyptian authorities released Mohammed Dabbesh, a top security official of the Palestinian Hamas movement. He had been held for 10 days for what the state media in Egypt termed weapons smuggling into the Israeli-occupied Gaza strip. The detention would have signalled to Hamas that they are not free to act independently of Egypt.

Egypt is very wary of the Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement) authorities ruling the Gaza strip, because of its close spiritual and other links with the Muslim Brotherhood. It has traditionally backed the secular leadership of Fatah which controls the West Bank. However, Egypt has historic and other reasons for its interest in the Gaza strip. Egypt administered the Gaza strip between 1948 and its seizure by Israel in the 1967 war. And Egypt shares a border with Gaza, though not with the West Bank.

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

© 2010 Menas Associates

Egyptian authorities have detained a top Palestinian security chief

According to state-controlled media, the authorities detained a top Palestinian security chief in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip as he flew in from Damascus, where Hamas has its base in exile. Al-Ahram reported that head of the Hamas-run General Security Service Mohammed Khamis Dababesh was “suspected of involvement in activities harmful to Egyptian state security, including an attempt to traffic a significant quantity of sophisticated telecommunications equipment.” He is also accused of being responsible in his capacity as security chief for the death in January of an Egyptian policeman during an exchange of fire at the Gaza border.

The news coincided with press reports that the head of intelligence in Egypt Omar Suleiman and the Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal had met in Saudi Arabia. The pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat said the talks aimed to reconcile Palestinian differences. Suleiman has led Egyptian efforts to mediate between Fatah, which it supports, and Hamas which controls the Gaza strip. The meeting took place in Mecca, where the Egyptian briefed King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on recent peace talks in Washington and Sharm el Sheikh.

The Foreign Ministry said Egypt would not allow convoys to cross into the Gaza strip through Egyptian territory. This directive was aimed partly at former British MP George Galloway, who has sent a convoy from Europe to try to break the blockade of Gaza. Egypt is caught between its desire not to help the Hamas government of Gaza, and not wishing to be seen to be lacking in humanitarian concern.

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

© 2010 Menas Associates

Hamas leader Ismail Radwan says Palestinian reconciliation is beyond reach

On Wednesday 28th July, a senior Hamas leader, Ismail Radwan said that Palestinian reconciliation is beyond reach, as a result of American interference, the issue of direct peace talks with Israel and Fatah's refusal to send thousands of passports to residents of Gaza who need to travel abroad.

Radwan added that Hamas is ready to sign a national reconciliation agreement but emphasised that it is difficult at the current time given what's happening on the ground.

He did not allude to Hamas' reservations about the Egyptian-sponsored document, which many believe is the key sticking point in reaching reconciliation.

These statements add another twist to the ongoing reconciliation saga; with no clear time plan of when this important objective will be met, leaving everything uncertain and with Egypt unwilling to make amendments to its document, it seems reconciliation will continue to be off the agenda for sometime.

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

© 2010 Menas Associates