Egypt Police Detain 23 Islamists Supporting Hamas

The Egyptian group has been campaigning against the Israeli and Egyptian blockade of the Palestinian coastal strip.

Egyptian police detained 23 members of the Muslim Brotherhood opposition group who were on their way to attend an event to express solidarity with Hamas Islamists in Gaza on Tuesday, security officials said.

The officials, speaking on the customary condition of anonymity, said police detained the Egyptian Islamists in Cairo before a planned seminar at the Doctors' Union. One official put the number of those rounded up at 25.

The Brotherhood, Egypt's strongest opposition group, has historical and ideological ties with Hamas, the Islamist group Israel has targeted in massive air attacks in the Gaza Strip over the past four days.

The Egyptian group has been campaigning against the Israeli and Egyptian blockade of the Palestinian coastal strip, ruled by Hamas since June 2007. Israel says the blockade is meant to prevent Hamas from obtaining weapons.