ISIS in Sinai Declares War on Hamas in Execution Video

Executes Member Accused of Smuggling Arms Into Gaza

A new video released by the ISIS affiliate in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula amounts to a declaration of war against the Hamas movement in the neighboring Gaza Strip, condemning the Palestinian group as “apostates.

In the video, an ISIS preacher calls for viewers to attack Hamas sites and courthouses in the Gaza Strip, saying they are “pillars of tyranny.” The video closes with the execution of an ISIS member identified as Musa Abu Zamat, who they accused of smuggling weapons to Hamas’ military wing.

The video attacked Hamas for numerous reasons, including its support for democratic values, and its stated position that they are not hostile with Jews for religious reasons, but at odds with Israel over occupied Palestinian land.

Hamas dismissed the video as a “Zionist production” aimed at distorting the resistance against Israel. Hamas has regularly fought with ISIS-linked factions within the Gaza Strip, though such groups are a lot smaller than the Sinai version.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.