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Hamas reaches out to Egypt

Although Egypt's campaign to destroy the tunnels between Gaza and Sinai continues, Hamas, whose relations with other regional countries are even more strained, is working to restore ties with its neighbor.
Palestinian fighters from the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, stand inside an underground tunnel in Gaza August 18, 2014. A rare tour that Hamas granted to a Reuters reporter, photographer and cameraman appeared to be an attempt to dispute Israel's claim that it had demolished all of the Islamist group's border infiltration tunnels in the Gaza war. Picture taken August 18, 2014. To match Exclusive MIDEAST-GAZA/TUNNELS             REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: POL
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The tunnels are a major issue in the strained Hamas-Egyptian relations, with Hamas accused of using them to smuggle gunmen and weapons between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula. When he took office in June 2014, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi decided to carry out a military campaign targeting the tunnels and the lines of communication they offer armed cells. On April 6, Egypt announced a firm plan to destroy them.

Al-Monitor made a recent visit to the border area between Rafah and Sinai and witnessed a series of bombings conducted by the Egyptian army as part of its expansion of the buffer zone.

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