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Hamas blows up Egypt-Israel gas pipeline.

Suleiman survives assassination bid

DEBKAfile Special Report February 5, 2011, 9:57 AM (GMT+02:00)

Tags: Egypt gas pipeline Hamas Israel

Egyptian-Israel gas pipleline sabotaged

The pipeline supplying Egyptian gas to Israel was blown up near the North Sinai town of El Arish early Saturday Feb. 5. Egyptian state TV reported "terrorists" had carried out the attack which caused a huge explosion and fire.DEBKAfile's counter-terror sources report that the attack was planned on military lines by a special Hamas team which infiltrated Sinai from Gaza last week. The extent of the damage is not yet known. The flow of gas has been suspended.

The Palestinian extremist Hamas has managed a major strike and shown its hand in meddling in the standoff in Egypt. This was a blow to the quiet collaboration between the IDF and the Egyptian army for securing Sinai against Hamas attempts to destabilization the strategic area at the behest of the Egyptian opposition Muslim Brotherhood.

Early Saturday, too, US intelligence disclosed that exactly a week ago, on Jan. 29, an attempt was made on the life of Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman as his convoy drove through central Cairo. He escaped unharmed but two of his bodyguards were killed.