Approximately 2,000 Egyptian activists in radical Islamic organizations have infiltrated into the Gaza Strip in order to assist militant Palestinian groups since the fence between Gaza and Egypt
was pierced, according to a report in the Egyptian Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper on Wednesday.
The report is based on sources from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, who said that the 2,000 Islamic fundamentalists poured into the Palestinian enclave in order to join the struggle against Israel.
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The sources claim the motivated jihadists met with Islamic Jihad
and Hamas
leaders and requested to join the al-Qassam Brigades and engage in "martyrdom operations". The leaders declined to accept, asking the men to return to Egypt, in order to avoid a confrontation between Egypt and Israel.
The sources added that the potential recruits visited Hamas gunmen stationed along the border with Israel and watched the military wings of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah carry out training maneuvers.
According to the report, Hamas officials simply asked the Egyptians to pray for them.
An Egyptian security source said on Wednesday that national forces have taken total control of the border, this despite clashes took place alongside the frontier Monday when an armed Palestinian group attempted to storm the border again.
The German News Agency reported that an Egyptian soldier died and another was injured in a mine explosion on the Gaza-Egypt border. However, a security source told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the soldier was injured during training and is currently being treated for his injuries.
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