Gaza Strip’s Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas called on Egyptian political forces to stop spreading lies against it or falsely accusing it of all kinds of crimes. Egypt’s hostile media had accused Hamas of abducting seven Egyptian soldiers, whose release Egypt’s forces have secured. On 22 May, Hamas leader Salah Bardawil expressed the Palestinian people’s happiness for the Egyptian government and forces’ success in securing the release of the Egyptian soldiers without any bloodshed, re-opening the Rafah crossing and re-establishing security and stability in Sinai.
Bardawil further called on fair-mined figures, leaders of political parties and the Egyptian leadership to try and stop the relentless campaign of lies, slander and misinformation against Gaza, its government and the Palestinian people, stressing that Hamas was confident Gaza had nothing to do with the hostage incident in the Sinai.