One Gaza Arab was killed and three others were wounded Sunday as Hamas wildly cheered Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood victory, giving it new hope to achieve its dream of annihilating Israel.
Hamas gleefully welcomed the election of Mohammed Morsi with the usual gunfire, which this time was deadly, and senior Hamas official Mahmud Zahar said that his victory was “a historic moment and a new era in the history of Egypt. De facto Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said he is looking to Egypt to help “the Palestinian nation get freedom.”
Morsi quickly backed up Hama’s optimism with a statement made before the election results were announced and published Monday in an interview with the Iranian government-controlled Fars News Agency, in which he said he would review the 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
The Muslim Brotherhood helped found Hamas in 1987 and grew not a powerful political influence by maintaining social support for Gazans. The terrorist organization, declared as such by the United States, peaked in popularity by winning the first and only Palestinian Authority legislative elections six years ago.
Its isolation by the rival Fatah faction, based in Ramallah and headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, has weakened it, but Haniyeh sees the Muslim Brotherhood victory in Egypt as a good sign.
However, it might be disappointed. Morsi is taking office with most of his powers having been stripped several days beforehand by the ruling military regime. It also has dissolved the lower house of the parliament, dominated by Islamic parties.
Hamas’ strongest tool is the lack of control of Egypt in the Sinai Peninsula, south of Gaza and a breeding ground for terrorists trying to infiltrate into Israel.
If Morsi decides to beef up Egyptian security forces in the Sinai, he probably will demand changes in the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, which limits the presence of Egyptian military and arms in the region.
Either way, Hamas holds out the hopes that it can maintain an alliance with whatever military forces are in the Sinai, making it easier to attack Israel.