essential mediator between Israel and the Palestinian factions, Egypt tenfold its influence in Gaza, far beyond Hamas, from the construction sector to peace negotiations behind the scenes.
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When the Israeli bombs and the Palestinian rockets tear the sky of Gaza, the world has its eyes riveted towards Cairo. This weekend again, after Israel attacked the enclave on Friday August 5, in an operation against Islamic jihad, the Egyptians were there, behind the scenes, to conduct discussions “day and night to prevent the situation from becoming Out of control “in the Palestinian enclave, said Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sissi. Their efforts paid: Sunday evening, after a little more than two days of a violent confrontation which left 46 dead on the Palestinian side, the weapons were killed. All of them congratulated the Egyptian godfather.
Strong state of the region, geographically linked but also historically with the enclave which he occupied between 1948 and 1967, Cairo is today the official mediator in Gaza: he is one of the rare actors, with Qatar and on occasion the United Nations coordinator in the Holy Land, to speak to everyone. With Israel, he signed a peace agreement and cooperates in the security field, as in the management of the blockade of Gaza, in place since 2007. He returned to Hamas in 2017, after the election at the head of the movement in The enclave of Yahya Sinouar, a little -handed leader looking at the repression of his allies Muslim Brotherhood by the Egyptian soldiers. He discusses with other Palestinian factions. He is where Americans and Europeans have disappeared, refusing to cooperate with Hamas, classified terrorist organization. “Gaza serves Egypt in its relationship with the United States, which needs a concierge here”, Note Bassem Naïm, a frame of Hamas.
Cash suitcases
Egypt considers the Gazaoui file as essential to its safety. She has intervened several times, in recent months, to try to appease tensions between Israel and the Palestinian factions. Since the May 2021 War, Egyptian military intelligence officers have even taken their permanent districts at the Al-Mashtal Hotel, on the seafront, for the first time since the start of the Israeli blockade, in 2007.
These men cultivate networks among local notables, which flock to them. “Egypt has long considered Gaza as an enemy, but Gaza cannot be reduced to a party [Hamas],” recalls Aakif Al-Masri, a figure close to Cairo among traditional clan leaders. They supervise exchanges at the Rafah border post, has been reopened since 2017. In recent months, they finally allow Qatar to pay a part of the salaries of Hamas officials.
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