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Egypt and Hamas: The Frontiers of Crisis
[Dar Al-Hayat-Lebanon] Mohammad Salah - The quick and angry Egyptian reaction to statements by Hamas leaders about another breach of the Gaza-Sinai frontier reflects the degree of Egyptian anger about this "headache." It is no secret that Egyptian officials monitor Hamas' operations, whether aimed at Israel or Egypt. They believe that the fingerprints of Syria can no longer be hidden when analyzing statements issued or actions taken by Hamas leaders. The relationship between Egypt and Hamas had remained good until Hamas took over Gaza last June. Cairo has come to believe that Hamas is deliberately trying to "heat up" the situation to reduce pressure on Damascus at times or put pressure on Cairo at others. If the break-out from Gaza is repeated, the reaction will be different this time, since the "frontiers" of the crisis go beyond the borders of Gaza.