OPINION:
The Left is very deft at creating sympathy for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, even as they lob Kassam rockets at Israeli civilian settlements outside the territory. Now that sympathy may be harder to manufacture.
Hamas, the elected leadership of Gaza, has been funding the Islamic State in Egypt to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars a month for help in smuggling weapons and explosive material into Gaza over the last year. Ynet News reports the explosive, propellant material traded is primarily used to build rockets. Hamas is also in need of construction materials to build their military infrastructure as Israel has prevented these materials from entering Gaza since the destruction of scores of tunnels into Israel during the conflict in 2014 between Hamas and the IDF.
Hamas has primarily been funded by Iran in the past, the ultimate Islamic, terrorist state. Iran is engaged in combat against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and has provided funds to Hamas to fight ISIS in the Sinai.
Egyptian security officials note that it is solely thanks to Hamas’ monetary and professional support of ISIS in the Sinai that the branch has, in the last few years, turned from a gang of Bedouin with light weapons into a well-trained, well-armed group of 800 militants. ISIS in the Sinai has been doggedly fighting the Egyptian army and threatening to carry out terror attacks against Israelis close to the border, according to Ynet.
Allegiances in the Middle East are fluid and the marriage between Hamas and ISIS seems to be beneficial to both at this time. In addition to funding, Hamas has provided logistical support and brought wounded ISIS fighters from Egypt into Gaza for medical treatment. Hamas also sent medical teams into Sinai to treat ISIS fighters in Egypt. Weapons have also been provided to the Islamic State including Kornet anti-tank missiles which have been used to destroy Egyptian tanks. Egypt has been attempting to destroy ISIS within its territory.
The connection between the leadership of both organizations has been strengthening as well with Hamas in Gaza providing safe haven to ISIS commanders. Shadi al-Mani’i, the commander of ISIS’ Sinai fighters is wanted by the Egyptian authorities and has been living in Gaza since 2015.
At the present time, Hamas has been preventing its fighters and ISIS in Gaza from attacking Israel while it rebuilds its military capability. The fear of Israeli commanders is that this new axis between the Palestinian government in Gaza and the Islamic State will be turned against the Jewish State at some time in the future of their choosing.
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