GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Many Palestinians expressed sympathy over the death of former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi during his trial in Cairo on June 17. Some took to social media to express condolences; Palestinian factions such as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad issued statements in this regard and former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal accepted condolences over Morsi’s death in Doha.

Sympathy for Morsi came as a tribute to his positions toward the Palestinians, specifically in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. This is because Hamas has an ideological relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, one of whose leaders was Morsi. He played a major role in stopping the Israeli military operation against the Gaza Strip in November 2012, and allowed the Rafah crossing to be opened for days at a time for Palestinian passengers during 2012 and 2013; in the years before his rule, it would open only for a few days.

Some Palestinians took it upon themselves to open so called "mourning houses" — sites where Palestinians would offer condolences to mark his death — in several cities in the Gaza Strip.

As for Hamas, it simply issued an official statement expressing its sorrow while Hamas’ politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh contacted Morsi’s widow to express condolences June 18, as the movement seems to have wanted to make sure it stays on good terms with the current Egyptian regime.