GAZA CITY — Since the overthrow of Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi on July 3, relations between authorities in Egypt and Gaza have been in crisis. The situation worsened after Egyptian media accused Hamas, which heads the government in Gaza, of being involved in a series of attacks against Egyptian security forces in Sinai. Matters reached a critical stage after Egypt destroyed hundreds of tunnels along the border with Gaza and closed the Rafah crossing on several occasions, the most recent being six days ago; it currently remains closed. The crisis spiked again on Sept. 16, when an Egyptian military spokesman announced that the army had seized ammunition with the name of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades on it.

“While monitoring [Hamas] elements, the Egyptian army discovered wires connected to electronic devices attached to bombs of various types along the border between Egypt and Gaza. The electronic devices and explosives were controlled from the Gaza Strip, which means that Hamas elements have been working on targeting the Egyptian army through ambushes,” claimed Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali at a news conference. 

The Hamas government has been trying to maintain a diplomatic attitude throughout this tense period and thus far has issued only three official statements. Things are different on the ground, however. During two military parades for the al-Qassam Brigades, the rabea (Egyptian anti-coup) symbol was raised. Several Egyptians in Gaza have also been arrested, including Adel Abdul Rahman, 34, an official at the Egyptian Cultural Center in Gaza.

In an Al-Monitor interview in his office, Abdul Rahman said that at 9 a.m. on Aug. 31, Gaza security forces came to the center’s entrance in a military Jeep.