BICOM

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, appeared to attempt to lower tensions with Egypt’s military rulers by yesterday asking Muslim preachers to mute their criticism of the Egyptian regime.

Egypt recently launched a major military offensive in the Sinai Peninsula, which borders both Israel and Gaza, as the area has become a significant base for Islamist groups to attack Egyptian forces in the wake of the ouster of Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood from power in July. Hamas is considered a long-time ally of the Muslim Brotherhood and a major plank in the Egyptian offensive has been a crackdown on smuggling tunnels beneath the Egypt-Gaza border, which Egyptian authorities believe have been a major conduit for weapons and fighters to Islamist groups. Just yesterday, Egypt closed the Rafah border crossing with Gaza after two cars exploded near the border, killing at least eleven Egyptian soldiers.

Reuters reports that yesterday Ismail Rudwan, the Hamas-appointed religious affairs minister in Gaza sought to ease tensions with Egypt by calling on Muslim clerics to “avoid speaking of the internal affairs of Egypt and focus on our Palestinian national issues and our struggle for the liberation of our land.” In recent weeks, Gaza-based preachers have accused Egypt’s army of waging a war against Islam.

A report in Haaretz by Amos Harel on Tuesday suggested that attempts by Hamas to distance itself from the Muslim Brotherhood is part of a wider effort to ease Hamas’ increasing isolation in the region. The report says that the Egyptian crack down on smuggling tunnels has delivered a serious military and economic blow to Hamas, which is struggling financially. In addition, Hamas opposition to Syrian President Assad has seriously strained relations with Iran, formerly a major supporter of Hamas. The report quotes a Gaza source saying that remaining financial assistance from Tehran is “scraps thrown to the dogs.”