A burning church in Egypt. Photo: IPT News.

JNS.org– Terror groups affiliated with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood had cooperated to plan attacks on churches in the northern Sinai Peninsula over the Christmas holiday, according to a report in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Watan.

The attacks were planned for the Coptic Christian Christmas on Jan. 7. According to the report, Sinai terror groups were told to expect weapons and funds to arrive through Gaza’s smuggling tunnels “via three members of the Hamas military wing.” But Egyptian intelligence prevented the attacks by intercepting conversations between the Sinai and Gaza terrorist groups.

The military-backed Egyptian government has long accused the Muslim Brotherhood of cooperating with Hamas and other terrorist organizations. Former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, along with several dozen Muslim Brotherhood leaders, is currently awaiting trial on charges of conspiring with Hamas to attack the Egyptian military.