By Xinhua
Gaza : The Islamic Hamas movement had asked Egypt to hand over members of rival Fatah movement who fled to Egypt last June when Hamas took over the Gaza Strip following an infighting, a senior Hamas leader said Wednesday.
During a recent visit to Cairo, a Hamas delegation presented a complete file to the Egyptian authorities with confessions by members of President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement, said Said Siam, who was also former interior minister in the Hamas-led cabinet.
Siam said the file contained proofs of a plot to assassinate Ismail Haneya, another senior Hamas leader who led the Hamas-led cabinet, which was sacked by Abbas after last June’s infighting.
The evidences included instructions on Haneya’s assassination plan sent by some members of Fatah, who were allegedly staying in Egypt, to Fatah cells in Gaza via mobile messages and emails, according to Siam.
“The Egyptians promised to study this issue and take legal actions against anyone who is proved to be part of the crime,” Siam said.
In January, Hamas announced that its police forces arrested a suspect who carried a bag of explosives ready to go off at a stadium where Hamas was holding a rally which was also attended by Haneya. At the time, Hamas also accused Fatah of planning the assassination.
Following last June’s bitter infighting, rival Hamas and Fatah movements had been involved in a lasting word war featuring claims and counter-claims, which was aimed to vie for trust and credibility among Palestinians.