Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood Reportedly Planned to Attack Churches with Suicide Bombers and Explosives-Packed Cars on Christmas

Two Egyptian newspapers have reported that a joint Hamas-Muslim Brotherhood plot to attack churches on Christmas was foiled by Egyptian security forces.

According to a report published in Al-Watan, the Palestinian terror group which rules Gaza had planned to target churches in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, the region just over the border with Gaza.

Al-Youm Al-Sabaa quoted unnamed security sources who said that Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood activists had prepared several tons of explosives in Gaza meant to be planted into booby-trapped cars. According to details of the report posted on Ynet, the suicide attackers had planned to drive the cars into churches in which the faithful were gathered for the holiday.

Haaretz reported that Egyptian intelligence services intercepted communications between Hamas terrorists in Gaza and Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated militants based in the Sinai Peninsula, thus unraveling the plot.

[sharequote align="center"]“The calls revealed plans to transfer weapons to the peninsula through underground tunnels..."[/sharequote]

“The calls revealed plans to transfer weapons to the peninsula through underground tunnels from Gaza to Egypt,” reported Haaretz.

Egypt’s interim government last month declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. Hamas is a Palestinian offshoot of the Islamist movement.

The Associated Press described the move as an “unprecedented executive decision.”

Earlier in December, ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was accused by prosecutors of conspiring with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran to perpetrate terrorist acts in Egypt. If convicted of those charges,  he could face the death penalty.

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