ISIS in Sinai declares war on Hamas

ISIS offshoot in Sinai releases 22-minute video calling on its followers to attack its rival in the Gaza Strip.

By: Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

A new threat has emerged to Hamas’ iron-fisted rule in the Gaza Strip, and it is neither Israel nor the Palestinian Authority. The offshoot of ISIS in the Sinai Peninsula that usually pays deadly attention to Egyptian security forces and civilians released a video on social media Wednesday calling for its followers to destroy Hamas.

“Never surrender to them. Use explosives, silenced pistols, and sticky bombs. Bomb their courts and their security locations, for these are the pillars of tyranny that prop up its throne,” says the knife-wielding narrator of the video.

The video explains the reasons for this vicious turn of events. For one thing, they condemn Hamas for not having been able to prevent President Donald Trump from recognizing Israel as Israel’s capital last month.

But the probable main cause of their anger is the fact that for over a year, Hamas has been arresting activists in Gaza who belong to Salafist organizations that identify with ISIS. Although both terrorist groups agree on their hatred of Israel, the Sinai group has staged dozens of attacks against Egyptians – most recently killing more than 300 people in a mosque – in their bid to destabilize the country. Hamas is cracking down on them as part of its recent efforts to grow closer to the Egyptian regime.

In addition, although they play only a small role among the rival groups in the Strip, ISIS members have sometimes managed to shoot rockets at Israel, which embarrasses Hamas’ security forces who are supposed to be in full charge of the area. ISIS does this with full knowledge that Israel will retaliate against Hamas, whom they indeed hold responsible for everything that happens in the Gaza Strip.

The video shows the purported execution of a man who collaborated with Hamas, which is  “following in the footsteps of the disbelieving West.” According to Walla, the executioner used to be a member of Hamas’ military arm, who is described as having “repented” for his misdeeds.