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Wed, Feb 02, 2011 | The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

One of the Hamas operatives who escaped from an Egyptian prison and returned to the Gaza Strip (left), with his father (Hamas’ daily Felesteen, February 1, 2011).

Hamas Extremists Imprisoned in Egypt Escape and Return to Gaza Strip

After the massive escapes from Egyptian prisons, the Arab and Palestinian media reported that several Hamas operatives who had been imprisoned in Egypt had escaped. Some of them, according to reports, had already reached the Gaza Strip and some were en route. One of them was Ayman Nofal, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas’s military wing) commander of the central sector of the Gaza Strip (Al-Risala, January 29, 2011).

The Palestinian Authority and Hamas

The Palestinian Authority and Hamas are closely following the events in Egypt, but so far have kept a low media profile. Mahmoud Abbas held a telephone conversation with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and expressed the PA’s worry for Egypt’s security (Wafa News Agency, January 29; Al-Hayat, February 1, 2011).