EGYPT FREES KEY HAMAS TERRORIST

Egypt frees key Hamas terrorist (JPost)

The Egyptian authorities have released a top Hamas operative wanted by the Palestinian Authority and Israel for his involvement in terror attacks over the past few years, PA officials told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

The officials expressed outrage over the release of Nahro Massoud - one of the commanders of Hamas's armed wing, Izzadin Kassam - who fled to Egypt more than a year ago. At the request of the PA, Massoud and several other Hamas fugitives were arrested by the Egyptian security forces and held without trial.

Massoud's name had appeared on a Hamas list of prisoners whose release the group was demanding in exchange for kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Schalit.

But it was not clear Sunday whether the Egyptian decision to release the Hamas fugitive was linked to secret talks on reaching a prisoner exchange deal with Israel. The Egyptians have been acting as mediators between Hamas and Israel in a bid to secure the release of Schalit, who was kidnapped by Hamas and other Palestinian groups in the summer of 2006.

According to the PA officials, the release of Massoud is yet another sign of the recent rapprochement between Hamas and Egypt.

"The Egyptians have clearly changed their policy toward Hamas," they said.

Three weeks ago, the Egyptian authorities permitted Hamas supporters and figures stranded on the Egyptian side of the border to return to the Gaza Strip. The move was seen by PA officials in Ramallah as part of a deal between the Hamas leadership and Cairo to improve their relations.

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh has since spoken twice on the phone with Egyptian Intelligence Chief Gen. Omar Suleiman about the situation in the Gaza Strip and the ongoing Hamas-Fatah crisis.