The Cairo Appeals Court for Urgent Matters on Jan. 31 banned and declared the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades [5] to be a terrorist group. Qassam Brigades is the armed branch of Hamas [6], which is itself an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood [7]. The ruling is based on allegations by Egyptian officials that Qassam Brigades played a role in the bombing attacks [8] on the Sinai Peninsula last October, and that members have been smuggling weapons from the Gaza Strip into Egypt [9]. Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri described the verdict [10] as a "dangerous" promotion of Israel's occupation of Palestine.
From Jurist [11], Jan. 31. Used with permission.
