(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) An Egyptian court has abolished an earlier ruling that listed the Palestinian Hamas Movement as a "terrorist organization".
The ruling was issued by the Cairo Court of Appeals in light of an appeal filed by the State Litigation Authority, a high-level judicial body, against a previous court decision designating Hamas as a terrorist group, Egypt's official news agency (MENA) reported.
Issued in February, the court decision came after a lawyer petitioned the court to classify Hamas as a terrorist organization, accusing it of using underground tunnels to smuggle weapons into Egypt.
But in March the government appealed against the ruling, which took ties between Hamas and Egyptian authorities to a new low.
Egypt accuses Hamas of backing militants who have carried out recent deadly attacks in the Sinai Peninsula that borders the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
In March 2014, Egypt banned all Hamas activities on its soil and froze its assets.
The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, was classified as a terrorist organization by Egypt in January.
In reply, Hamas issued a brief statement saying the new ruling corrects "a wrong decision".
"Hamas welcomes the Egyptian court's decision," it added.
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