The Cairo Court of Urgent Matters ruled Saturday to designate the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, as a terrorist organisation, according to state media.
The lawsuit called for banning the Al-Qassam Brigades, accusing it of “participating in terrorist operations”. These include the deadly attack on Egypt’s armed forces on 24 October, which killed at least 30 soldiers, despite the incident already having been claimed by ‘State of Sinai’.
It also argued that the Al-Qassam Brigades used underground smuggling tunnels connecting Rafah to Gaza to enter the country. The lawsuit added that the group used the tunnels to “finance its terrorist operations, smuggling weapons to attack police and army personnel, as well as terrorising civilians”.
In different occasions, Hamas has denied all accusations.
The Cairo Court of Urgent Matters is specialized in cases seen by the disputed sides as important to have its verdict issued urgently.
In another case, the Administrative Judiciary Court at the State Council is expected to rule in a lawsuit filed to designate Hamas a “terrorist organisation”.
