GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar on Sunday denied media reports that Hamas is interfering in Egyptian domestic affairs.

According to the Al-Shorouk newspaper, Hamas sent militants to Egypt via the smuggling tunnels in order to carry out attacks which would cause chaos during elections.

Hamas had also taken part in storming Egyptian prisons during the last days of the revolution which toppled the Mubarak regime, the paper said.

Zahhar strongly denied the claims, countering that security and stability in Egypt best serve the Palestinian people, a statement said.

The current democratic experience in Egypt will aid the Palestinian cause as the country has historically played a pioneering role in the region, Zahhar added.

On Saturday, a Hamas official denied reports by Al-Shorouk that Hamas-affiliated militants had infiltrated into Egypt in a bid to disturb the peace ahead of presidential runoff elections.

"These accusations are null and baseless especially at this sensitive stage as competitors for the presidency in Egypt are running media campaigns which reflect the great democratic change Egypt is witnessing," he said.