The Current

Egypt and Israel may look to Hamas as a Bulwark against ISIS in Gaza

Islamic State militants are not just north in Syria, but south in the Sinai Peninsula. And among the Palestinians in Gaza, where Hamas is in control, and rooting ISIS elements out. After years of demonization by Israel, by Canada, by the US, could Hamas become an ally against ISIS?
An Egyptian army tank is stationed outside a school taken over by soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula. Authorities in the Sinai Peninsula are battling insurgents who support Islamic State, the militant group that has seized parts of Iraq, Syria and Libya. ( REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih - RTX1EWLU)

"I send a message to the tyrants of Hamas and tell them we will not say what we will do to you because in our calculations you are worth nothing. We will uproot the state of Jews and you and Fatah and all the seculars are nothing. You will be run over by our creeping crowds. The rule of Sharia will be implemented in Gaza in spite of you."  - a translated message from an ISIS gunman, last week


In recent days, ISIS supporters have fired rockets into Southern Israel.  Those rocket attacks come just days after at least 17 Egyptian soldiers were killed at military checkpoints in the Sinai - ISIS claimed responsibility.  

With the group's growing presence, it's altering the highly-charged political dynamics in the region...  and could even be leading to some strange new bedfellows.

To help us understand the crazy quilt of politics taking place between Hamas, Egypt, Israel and ISIS, we were joined by:

  • Alessandria Masia Middle-East reporter for the International Business Times in New York City.
  • Khaled Elgindy, a fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings Institution. From 2004 until 2009  he served as an advisor to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah on permanent status negotiations with Israel. He was Cairo.  
  • Hussein Ibisha Senior Resident Scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institutes in Washington DC. 
     

This segment was produced by The Current's Howard Goldenthal.
 

RELATED LINKS

♦ Hamas playing double game with ISIS - The Jerusalem Post
♦ ISIS Threat In Gaza Turns Hamas Into A Counterterrorism Player For Israel And Egypt - Alessandria Masi, International Business Times