Palestinian sources told Asharq al-Awsat that ISIS in Sinai has been prohibiting, for two weeks, traders of Rafah from bringing commodities into Gaza Strip after Hamas had stopped its coordination with the organization and arrested hundreds of its supporters.
Sources asserted that extremist members in Sinai are confiscating weapons and ammunition as well as raw materials, used usually for manufacturing rockets and bombs, that belong to Hamas.
Hamas earlier started a campaign against extremists after relations between Hamas and Egypt improved— investigations with the detainees in Hamas prisons that they greatly cooperated with ISIS members.
Weeks after the prohibition of commodity transport, Hamas started suffering from a financial crisis, as markets underwent a shortage of commodities and traders in Gaza Strip started to complain through local media.
Reliable sources from Hamas told Asharq al-Awsat that amidst the conflict with ISIS members, the budget of Hamas and Al Qassam Brigades has dropped. Sources continued that Hamas is hesitant and is considering several options on how to deal with the current crisis and how to face its impact on military work and financial resources.
After a request from Egypt, Hamas cut ties with ISIS, controlled the borders and prohibited any movements of the organization members between Gaza and Sinai.
And for the first time, ISIS in Sinai published pictures of members from Gaza who were killed in Sinai. However, before, the organization used to notify their families only that they were killed during military operations.
Hamas finds itself in a struggle between relations with Egypt and the pressures exerted by ISIS on it.
aawsat.com
