The Hamas terrorist group is examining options for an escalation with Israel in light of the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip and the delay in rehabilitating the coastal enclave, a senior Hamas official told the Qatari-based Al Jazeera network. The source lambasted the Egyptians, saying it was preventing thousands of Palestinians from leaving Gaza without justification.
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The Hamas source told the news outlet "the Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the harm to prisoners will blow the situation up again." He said the terrorist group "will not allow the continuation of the current situation, and the coming period will prove what we said."
The source expressed a lack of satisfaction with the conduct of the Egyptian mediator and his reservations regarding his promises to Gaza.
"Egypt relinquished its commitment to obligate Israel [to ease restrictions] in return for obligating the opposition to calm [tensions]," the source said. "The Egyptians did not uphold their promises to Hamas and the factions for the rehabilitation of and easing [of restrictions] on Gaza."
Meanwhile, sources told the Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen news channel that "the Egyptians did not respond to a document recently submitted to Cairo by Hamas. The Egyptians are dawdling for no reason in implementing their promises to Gaza. The rehabilitation of the [Gaza] Strip is being delayed."
According to the sources, Hamas and the other Palestinian factions in the enclave had set a target deadline for the implementation of Gaza's rehabilitation by the end of the year. The sources further threatened that an "escalation will begin next week."
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Meanwhile, Algerian President Abd al-Majid Tebboune pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to the Palestinian Authority during a visit by PA President Mahmoud Abbas to the capital of Algiers earlier this week. On Monday, Tebboune said the North African country would soon host a meeting of Palestinian factions.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will head to Egypt this week for discussions with several top Egyptian officials regarding Palestinians and the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media reports.
The upcoming meeting, first reported by Channel 12 News, is expected to focus on the issue of a possible prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel.
Israel is seeking the return of the remains of IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who were killed in the 2014 Gaza war, as well as Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, two Israeli civilians who crossed into Gaza voluntarily and are believed to be held in Hamas custody.
Cairo did not confirm whether or not Lapid would meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi during his visit. Should he, however, meet with the Egyptian leader, Channel 12 reported he would be bringing with him artifacts that had been illegally smuggled into Israel.
The archeological finds were maintained and preserved by the Israel Antiquities Authority, according to the Channel 12 News report.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
