The governor of the North Sinai District, Gen. Abed el-Hamid, accused Hamas of trying to "export the Gaza crisis into Egypt." He did not rule out the possibility that elements from the Muslim Brotherhood took part in breaking open the border barriers between Egyptian and Gazan Rafiah.

He told Al Itihad newspaper that 9,000 Gazans were still believed to be in Sinai. "Among the Palestinians are Hamas terrorists," he said. Egyptian security forces stepped up efforts to arrest the terrorists "before they carry out terror or criminal attacks," he added.