An Egyptian newspaper revealed documents Saturday which allege a financial and military connection between Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.
Ibrahim Matar, the representative of the "Tatir" (lit. purification) movement, presented a copy of the documents, which he claims are authentic. The documents allege the involvement of senior Muslim Brotherhood official Khairat el-Shater in terrorist acts committed in the Sinai Peninsula against Egyptian security forces. Those attacks not only were carried out in connection with Al-Qaeda, but were also assisted by Hamas's military wing, Matar alleges.
According to the report published in the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram, al-Shater transferred large sums of money to Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri so that he could take control of radical Islamic organizations operating in the Sinai.
He also gave at least $5 million to Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades, to encourage them to assist in terror activities on the Brotherhood's behalf.
Matar noted that al-Shater was in contact with senior commanders in the Al-Qassam Brigades, including Marwan Issa and Muhammad Sanwar; that he visited the training camp of Al-Qassam Brigades; and that al-Shater also met with senior Hamas officials, including Ismail Haniyeh.
Shater was apprehended by Egyptian security forces as he tried to return to Egypt through one of the tunnels on the Rafah border. Videos documenting military training in Gaza were found in his possession.
Shater claims that he coordinated training programs with the commanders of Al-Qassam Brigades for training Muslim Brotherhood operatives in Gaza, which included marksmanship, preparing bombs, attacking targets and the use of heavy weapons.
Hamas has denied the charges against them, arguing that the documents are forged, instead blaming the Egyptian media for launching "a propaganda war" against the group.