Ties with Hamas could help Egypt in Sinai

Significance

The fact that the meeting was held in Egypt, rather than the usual meeting place of Qatar, signals a shift in Hamas-Cairo relations.

Impacts

• In the short term, any expanded cooperation could see a conflagration in the Sinai as insurgents fear encirclement.
• In the medium term, genuine Egyptian-Hamas rapprochement should go some way towards containing the insurgency.
• A stable Sinai could help Egypt’s foundering tourism sector.
• An open Rafah border crossing could see reconstruction start in earnest in Gaza and head off a looming humanitarian crisis.