Hamas denies Egypt 'frogman' claims

CAIRO

Palestinian movement Hamas on Monday denied Egyptian media reports that it was training frogmen to strike "strategic Egyptian targets," including Egypt's Mediterranean gas fields.

Egyptian state daily Al-Akhbar on Monday quoted "unnamed sources" as saying that Hamas was training frogmen to strike Egyptian targets in the Mediterranean and smuggle weapons to support "terrorist" activity in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Leading Hamas member Mahmoud al-Zahar, for his part, told The Anadolu Agency that the Egyptian newspaper's claims were false, describing Egyptian media as "dishonest."

"Such things [training frogmen to attack Egypt] are not even under consideration. The Egyptian media is attempting to incite hatred against Gaza," al-Zahar said.

The Egyptian news report comes after an Egyptian court last month designated Hamas a "terrorist" group over claims that it had carried out attacks in Egypt via tunnels linking the Sinai Peninsula to the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Hamas, which has strenuously denied the claims, denounced the court decision as "shocking" and politically motivated.

One year ago, the same Egyptian court outlawed Hamas' activities in Egypt and seized the group's Cairo offices.

Also last month, an Egyptian court likewise declared the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing, a "terrorist" organization.