Israel, Hamas, and Egypt join forces against Islamic State

An affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) in Egypt are making attacks at the Gaza border which impelled Israel, Egypt, and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, to join forces against the said terrorists.

Hamas sent hundreds of fighters to the border at Gaza last week as part of an agreement with Egypt to keep the Islamic State out of the commune. This move followed the decision of Israel to build a blockade along the border of Israel and Egypt.

According to officials from these two countries, this alliance is said to be the "greatest cooperation" between their militaries since 1979 when they agreed on a peace deal.

The affiliate that these countries are up against is the Wilayat Sinai. This affiliate claimed liability for the bombing of a Russian charter flight at the Sinai Peninsula last October. There were 224 people who died in the incident. Some of the bold attacks they are now doing among Egyptian soldiers include running over military posts and throwing roadside bombs at them.

The IS in Sinai, however, has only hundreds of fighters, according to analysts and military officials. They have a small number of foreign fighters, not like the IS in Iraq and Syria. These militants do not hold large offensives and work in small portions. However, they do have weapons like anti-tank ground missiles and grenade propelled by rockets.

There used to be tension between Israel and Egypt. But last year, a ceasefire was agreed upon by the two countries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assembled the security cabinet of the country to vote for a ceasefire.

Officials from Israel and Egypt suspect Hamas of supplying arms to the militants. These are, however, mere allegations which have been denied by Hamas.

Because of these concerns, Egypt pressured Hamas to strengthen their control at the border. About 300 Hamas fighters are now assigned to three regions along the sea and the land border.