BICOM

An IDF official has told a Saudi news website that ISIS fighters recently entered the Gaza Strip to participate in joint training with Hamas.

Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, the IDF coordinator of government activities in the territories, is responsible for Israel’s border crossings with Gaza and Israeli military administration in the West Bank. He told the Saudi website Elaph that ISIS fighters from the Sinai Province, based in the Sinai Peninsula, had entered Gaza during the past few days via underground tunnels beneath the Egyptian border. They are scheduled to take part in training exercises with Hamas fighters, who have expertise in a number of areas including launching rockets. Mordechai said that there is coordination between Hamas’ military and political leadership and ISIS fighters in the Sinai. He also claimed that Hamas provides medical treatment for wounded Sinai Province terrorists.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri denied Mordechai’s claims, calling it “incitement” designed to justify Israeli actions against Hamas. However, the suggestion of coordination with ISIS is likely to complicate Hamas’ efforts to repair ties with Egypt. Since the ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in 2013, Sinai Province, which affiliated to ISIS two years ago, has targeted the regime of President al-Sisi, persistently attacking Egyptian military forces in the Sinai. Cairo accuses Hamas of aiding Sinai Province, providing weapons and manpower via the tunnels beneath the Gaza-Egypt border.

Hamas political bureau member Mousa Abu Marzook recently visited Cairo in an attempt to normalise ties. Hamas was reported to have committed itself not to interfere with Egyptian affairs and to stop extremists from entering the Sinai. Last week, Egypt re-opened the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip for two days. Egyptian authorities have almost entirely closed the Rafah crossing since a terror attack in October 2014.