Special to WorldTribune.com

CAIRO — Egypt has revoked the citizenship of nearly 1,000 people granted by its first Islamist president.

Egyptian sources said President Abdul Fatah Al Sisi ordered the cancellation of thousands granted citizenship by his ousted predecessor, Mohammed Morsi. The sources said a Cabinet panel led by the Interior Ministry was reviewing Islamic operatives from around the Middle East allowed permanent residency and full nationality in Egypt.

“Most of those given citizenship under Morsi were Palestinians, including most of the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip,” a source said.

So far, the Cabinet panel has decided to revoke the citizenship of 800 people. The sources said many of them came from the neighboring Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and sought to expand links with insurgency movements.

The Egyptian daily Al Masri Al Yom said one of the Gazans whose citizenship was revoked was Mahmoud Zahar. Zahar, a former foreign minister, has been identified as Hamas’ de facto political leader in the Gaza Strip.

“Other persons subjected to the measure are being vetted by security to determine links to terrorist groups that had attacked Egypt,” a source told Al Masri Al Yom on Oct. 26.

The government has determined that Morsi granted citizenship to 13,000 Palestinians during his year-long tenure. The sources said many of them were Hamas operatives who had infiltrated Egypt from the Gaza Strip since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Egypt has blamed Hamas for the attack on an army position in the Sinai Peninsula in which 33 soldiers were killed on Oct. 24. The sources said Cairo has blocked the entry of Hamas leaders as well as suspended reconciliation efforts.

Hamas deputy chief Mussa Abu Marzouk, based in Cairo, said his movement restored security coordination with Egypt over the last two months. Abu Marzouk said Hamas severed relations with the ousted Muslim Brotherhood and extradited weapons smugglers to Egypt.

“Every time a disaster strikes Egypt in the era of the coup instigators, they point their fingers at Gaza,” Abu Marzouk said.

  Egypt revokes citizenships of Hamas leaders granted by Morsi, Morsi, Sisi