Tayeb Abdel Rahim, director-general of the Presidency of the Palestinian Authority and a member of the Fatah Central Council, has claimed that Hamas had forged an alliance with Iran in a way that harmed Arab national security and Palestinian interests. "Hamas has turned the Palestinian cause into a cheap card in the hands of Iran," Abdel Rahim said in an interview with a local Palestinian radio station, according to the ‘Jerusalem Post’. He added: "They have done this at the expense of the Palestinian issue and the unity of the Palestinian people and homeland."
The official said that the issue of Hamas' alliance with Iran was at the core of this week's talks between Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal in Riyadh. "Hamas must give a clear answer," Abdel Rahim said. "Are you with the Palestinian cause or a pawn in the hands of others? Are you in favor of Arab national security or are you aligned with those who pose a threat to this security? Where do you stand?"
Meanwhile, an Egyptian soldier was reportedly killed and four Palestinians wounded in a gun battle during a protest against an anti-smuggling wall Cairo is currently building on the Egyptian border with Gaza. The violence was the most serious between Egyptian and Hamas forces since building on the underground steel barrier began a month ago. The project could block the movement of goods and weapons through tunnels into the Gaza Strip. Witnesses on the Gaza side of the border said members of Hamas’s police force fired at the Egyptians.
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