Al-Tirawi: Hamas counting on Muslim Brotherhood victory

Hamas is avoiding reconciliation with Fatah because it believes it will be strengthened by a Muslim Brotherhood victory in Egyptian elections, senior Fatah official Tawfiq al-Tirawi said Wednesday. Al-Tirawi told Voice of Palestine radio that if the Muslim Brotherhood was elected in Egypt, Hamas would consider the win its own victory. Hamas believes a Muslim Brotherhood-led government on its border would bolster the movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, said al-Tirawi, a member of Fatah's central committee. Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar told Reuters on Monday that a rising tide of Islamism in the Arab world would strengthen the Palestinian cause. "What is coming in Egypt, in Tunisia, in Libya and currently in Sudan is supportive of the Palestinian cause, not as in the past a strategic supporter of the Israeli occupation," he said. "What is coming is a thousand times better than in the past. Therefore we have to invest in these achievements by the Arab street for the sake of achieving the fundamental goals of the Palestinian people, the liberation of land and the return of (refugees)," Zahhar added. Meanwhile, Al-Tirawi said Fatah was reevaluating the reconciliation agreement it signed with Hamas last May in light of a failed visit to Gaza by four Fatah officials on Friday. The Fatah delegation says Hamas border guards at Erez crossing refused to let the group enter the Gaza Strip. Hamas says the Fatah officials refused to wait longer than 10 minutes, insulted its security officials and "cursed God" at the terminal. "What happened is a shame on Hamas," al-Tirawi said. "We hold Hamas responsible for what happened and demand that its officials apologize," he added. Hamas rejected Fatah's previous demand to apologize, saying that Fatah delegate Sakher Bseso should apologize "to the whole Islamic nation." The Hamas-run Ministry of Interior in Gaza says Bseso "cursed God" at Erez crossing, an allegation the Fatah official denies. Al-Tirawi urged people to take to the streets and protest against Hamas for blocking national unity.