In a highly unusual move, Israel's leading figure in the Arab media has explicitly linked the group's militant wing to Wednesday's killings. Israel directly accused Hamas of aiding Islamic State, the organization behind Wednesday’s terror attacks on Egyptian security forces in Sinai that left 17 soldiers dead.

From cookies to burgers to dates, it’s been gimmicks galore for Egyptians incessantly searching for new ways to shower their army leader with compliments. Egypt’s army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has emerged as one of the most powerful people in the country after he deposed Islamist President Mohammad Mursi on July 3, sparking nationalist fervor and widespread resentment of the Islamists.