Alleged state-ordered “invasive forensic examinations” of those arrested atthe Mashrou’ Leila concert on charges of “debauchery” continued to top coverage of Egypt in the foreign press.

An Egypt-led bid to reconcile Fatah and Hamas in Gaza moved forward yesterday as officials from the Fatah-led government began filing into Gaza to commence the handover of administrative control over the territory, according to Ma’an. An Egyptian delegation led by Cairo’s ambassador to Israel, Hazem Khairat, is in Gaza to help mediate the transition. Egypt’s chief spy Khaled Fawzy, who was instrumental to the negotiations, is also expected to visit both Ramallah and Gaza next week. Mediation may be the order of the day, since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has set conditions for a full reconciliation that would see Hamas lay down its arms and “dismantle its military wing.” This comes as we learn that Hamas has reportedly accepted an Egyptian plan for a multi-stage prisoner exchange with Tel Aviv, according to The Times of Israel.

Egypt’s position towards Hamas remains “quite delicate,” Sonia Farid cautions in a piece for Alarabiya. Hamas is seeking Egypt’s mediation in its reconciliation efforts with Fatah, even though a 2014 court ruling has banned all Hamas activities and ordered the closure of all the group’s offices in Egypt. These factors “complicate the situation between Egypt and Hamas and make it hard to envision a possible rapprochement.”

A potential spanner in the works? Libya’s attorney general is claiming that Hamas smuggled weapons out of Libya via Egypt, according to US right-wing media outlet Breitbart.

A proposed anti-hate crime bill crafted by Al Azhar is so vague it could openthe door for the institution to dictate the tenor of religious discourse at the expense of free speech and even oppress the Christian minority, writes Ashraf Ramelah writes for Canada Free Press. “The ambiguity of the bill, if passed, will muzzle thinkers and intellectuals and stifle expression more so than now. With this maneuver, Al Azhar shows that its aim is to govern behavior and gain more power over personal lives,” he says.

Also worth noting in brief this morning:

• US writer Beth Doane tells the HuffPost in an interview that now is the best time to visit Egypt as “you will likely get to trek into parts of ancient temples that are generally off-limits due to extreme crowds.”
• Baher Kamal gives a snapshot on “what it means to be an Egyptian migrant in Rome,” reciting stories of some legal and illegal migrant to Italy.
• Cyprus’ Famagusta Gazette picked up President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s remarks on how Egypt “will continue efforts to protect human rights” while battling terrorismat a meeting with National Human Rights Council chief Mohamed Fayek.
• Alexandria held a Cleopatra-themed event on Saturday to highlight the discovered sunken palace and city of the ancient Egyptian queen, Xinhua reports.