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                  Judge: Egypt Bans Hamas Activities in Egypt

   by Reuters

   An Egyptian court on Tuesday banned all activities of Hamas in Egypt, a
   judge said, in another sign that security forces plan to squeeze the
   Palestinian militant group that runs the neighboring Gaza Strip.

   Hamas is an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, which has been
   declared a terrorist group by Egypt's army-backed government and has
   faced a security crackdown since the military ousted one of its
   leaders, Mohamed Morsi, from the presidency last July.

   "The court has ordered the banning of Hamas work and activities in
   Egypt," the judge, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters.

   Egyptian authorities see Hamas as a major security threat, accusing the
   group of supporting al-Qaida-inspired Islamist insurgents in the Sinai
   peninsula, allegations it denies.

   The court also ordered the closure of Hamas offices in Egypt, one of
   the judges overseeing the case told Reuters.

   Hamas condemned the ruling, saying it targeted the Palestinian cause.

   The case was filed by a group of Egyptian lawyers last year asking for
   Hamas to be banned and be designated as a terrorist organization.

   When Morsi was in power, Hamas held its secretive internal elections in
   Egypt in 2012.  A top Hamas official, Musa Abu Marzouk, lives in Cairo
   and may be at risk of arrest following the new court decision.

   After crushing the Muslim Brotherhood at home, Egypt's military rulers
   plan to undermine Hamas, senior Egyptian security officials told
   Reuters in January.

   The aim, which the officials say could take years to pull off, includes
   working with Hamas's political rivals Fatah and supporting popular
   anti-Hamas activities in Gaza, four security and diplomatic officials
   said.

   Since it seized power in Egypt last summer, Egypt's military has
   squeezed Gaza's economy by destroying most of the 1,200 tunnels used to
   smuggle food, cars and weapons to the coastal enclave, which is under
   an Israeli blockade.

   Now Cairo is becoming even more ambitious in its drive to eradicate
   what it says are militant organizations that threaten its national
   security.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-judge-egypt-bans-hamas-activities/1863546.html