GAZA, (PIC)-- Hamas has expressed dismay at the fatwa (religious edict) passed by the Egyptian Al-Azhar's Islamic research complex in which it endorsed Egypt's construction of a steel wall along its borders with Gaza Strip.

Hamas in a statement on Saturday wondered how come can Al-Azhar issue an edict that allows the starvation of one and a half million Palestinians while it should have passed an edict incriminating the closure of crossings.

The Movement wondered was the underground wall meant to protect the Egyptian national security or was it built to prevent the smuggling of milk and medicine to the Gaza children and patients.

It said that the Azhar should have first issued an edict incriminating the siege on Gaza and invoking Islamic leaders to break the siege through opening Rafah crossing as a first stage to help the besieged people in Gaza.

Hamas said that the Gaza people were defending, and would continue to defend, Egypt's security as well as theirs and Egypt would remain the strategic depth of Palestine and resistance.

Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance factions picketed the Rafah terminal on the Egyptian-Palestinian borders to protest the Egyptian construction of the "oppressive steel wall".

Khaled Abu Hilal, the secretary general of Ahrar Movement, said that the wall was posing threats to the lives of citizens, adding that Gaza was not smuggling narcotics but rather arms to confront the Israeli occupation.