Israeli security officials accused the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt of asking Hamas to fire grad missiles from northern Sinai. Two days ago Grad missiles were fired from northern Sinai and landed in an open area in south of the country.The officials said that the missiles were fired by Bedouins living in Sinai, part of a cell that operates on behalf of Hamas, and that the attack was carried out to fulfill a request from the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt on the eve of the second round of presidential elections that were carried out Saturday and Sunday.
Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported that Israeli security officials are “confused about the motives of the Muslim Brotherhood”, especially since the brotherhood sad that it would respect peace agreements signed between Israel and Egypt, while the campaigns of its candidates are talking about voiding the agreement, and are calling for “liberating Jerusalem, the future capital of the Muslim caliphate”.
Furthermore, former commander of the Southern Command of the Israeli army, Gen. Yom-Tov Samia, said that “the grad missiles that were fired into southern Israel were launched from north Sinai”, and added that “the Sinai Peninsula started witnessing chaos and insecurity since the last days of the rule of former president Hosni Mubarak”.
The Israeli General added that peace between Israel and Egypt is a “strategic treasure for Israel and its security”, and added that all armed groups operating in Sinai are benefiting from the current situation.
Haaretz said that it is likely that Hamas was behind the Grad attack, and that it fired the missiles in order to boost the electoral rank of the Muslim Brotherhood’s presidential candidate.
Samia added that should the Muslim Brotherhood win the presidential elections, it will realize the need of maintaining the security situation, and enforcing law and order in Sinai, as well as the in the rest of Egypt.
Furthermore, Israeli paper, Yedioth Aharonoth, reported that the Israeli army has strong indications that the grad missiles were fired from Egyptian territory and not from Jordan.
Egyptian sources reported that the Egyptian security forces managed to foil an attack that was planned by Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas in Sinai; the attack was allegedly to be carried out immediately after the results of the final round of presidential elections are announced.
Israel believes that the claimed planned attack is a message from the Muslim Brotherhood regarding its support to the armed Palestinian resistance groups.
