Fawzi Barhoum - Tag Search

The Egyptian government's relationship with Hamas and Hizballah -- already frosty -- will probably take a turn for the worse after the last 24 hours.

Egypt's state security court yesterday convicted 26 men of links to Hizballah; four of them are on the run and were tried in absentia. The men received tough sentences -- including life sentences for three of them -- which cannot be appealed (the security court isn't subject to judicial review, pursuant to the emergency laws). Prosecutors had requested the death penalty.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has been on something of a media blitz lately.

He sat down with the BBC's Arabic service yesterday -- video is embedded after the jump -- and claimed that Israel is negotiating with Hamas to create a Palestinian state with temporary borders. Hamas has denied the allegation; Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for the group, said Abbas is "putting his personal political failure on Hamas."

While Fatah is focused on politics, Hamas is focused on another allegedly-imminent war with Israel. Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for the group, said Israel is trying to "justify a new aggression" in Gaza.

Barhoum seems to be responding to Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, the IDF's chief of staff, who said yesterday that Israel would launch a sequel to Operation Cast Lead unless people stop firing rockets from Gaza.

As I mentioned earlier, a Qassam rocket from Gaza landed in southern Israel yesterday -- at the same time Ashkenazi was giving his speech. Israeli media have recently been reporting that Hamas has new rockets with a 60-kilometer range, which would put Tel Aviv within range. Israeli intelligence claims the rockets came from Iran, though they haven't provided any proof.