Hamas saluted the Muslim Brotherhood's strong showing in the first round of Egyptian elections, where it won approximately 37% of the ballots cast. The victory of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist parties in Egypt, as well as Islamist successes in Morocco and Tunisia, may strongly affect the balance of power in the region.

"It is a very good result...it will mean more and more support for Palestinian issues," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum, about the Egyptian election result. "The relationship of the next regime in Egypt with the Palestinians will be very good." The Hamas representative also praised "Islamic gains in Tunisia" and "served notice to the West that its attempts to politically marginalize Islam were failing."

Western nations and Israel have expressed concerns about the growth of terrorism and the legitimization of Hamas, particularly as Islamist parties take power around the region. The charter of Tunisia's an-Nahda movement, which won a strong plurality of votes in recent elections, expresses support for Hamas and the "liberation of Palestine." There are also concerns that the Muslim Brotherhood, which helped to found Hamas and continues to back it, may provide material support for the group or break Egypt's treaty with Israel.