Israeli Official Stands by Charge of Hamas-ISIS Cooperation

The Coordinator of Government Activity in the Territories Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai released on Thursday fresh details concerning cooperation between Hamas and Islamic State in the Sinai.

The new information came following a flat denial by a Hamas spokesman of any cooperation with ISIS.

In response, Mordechai disclosed information about ISIS operatives who have received medical treatment in Gaza hospitals, including one who had been wounded in a shooting incident with Egyptian soldiers in Sinai.

When asked if it were not possible that he was spreading disinformation aimed at creating tension between Hamas and Egypt, Mordechai named Ibrahim Mattar from Rafiach, a Hamas member who has overseen the medical assistance given to ISIS operatives in return for financial payment.

In recent months, senior Hamas officials have been working to strengthen ties with Egypt in the hope of effecting a more lenient policy toward Gaza, including the opening of the Rafiach crossing.

At the same time, Hamas has maintained its connection to Iran and Islamic and Salafist extremists in Sinai, that the Egyptians have been fighting.