Egypt Investigations Uncover New Suspects in Alleged “Hizbullah Cell”
Egypt”s High State Security prosecution continues to interrogate detainees linked to a "Hizbullah cell" amid reports of a new list of suspects, Arabic newspapers reported Sunday.
The list includes a veterinarian who "was leasing his home in Rafah to help smuggle weapons into Gaza."
Egyptian authorities are expected to issue, in the next few days, "a list of items confiscated from the suspects, including their ID”s, explosives and computers," the pan-Arab daily al-Sharq al-Awsat reported, quoting sources.
Lebanese and Arab officials have been in contact with Cairo in an attempt to resolve the crisis with Hizbullah, an Egyptian source told the daily.
Egypt, however, reiterated comments that the case was now "within the jurisdiction of the judiciary and that the executive branch does not interfere in judicial rulings," he added.
Sources in Egypt denied "any exchange of messages" between Cairo and Hizbullah over the cell, reported the Egyptian official Middle East News Agency.
In the meantime, President Michel Suleiman told Arab League chief Amr Moussa on Saturday that "Lebanon was keen to maintain excellent ties with Egypt, which are boosted by a number of bilateral agreements," the Lebanese An Nahar daily said Sunday.
Lebanese-Egyptian relations "must not be affected by unexpected incidents, similar to what happened lately and which led to Egypt”s extremely stern position," Suleiman added.
Moussa, who was in Lebanon on Saturday, said the Lebanese president was "currently in contact with diplomats" over the case.
Earlier this month, Cairo announced the arrest of a cell led by a Lebanese Hizbullah agent accused of plotting attacks in Egypt.
Party leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah confirmed the agent was a Hizbullah member tasked with smuggling weapons to Palestinians in Gaza, denying accusations of planning to destabilize Egypt.