Egyptians fear being mired in Gaza-Israel crisis

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Magdi Youssef  / NBC News Dalia al Sayed, host of a cooking show on Egypt TV, told NBC News that she was afraid that the conflict between Egypt and Gaza would hurt Egypt. By Charlene Gubash, NBC NewsCAIRO, Egypt - Sympathy for the Palestinians runs high in neighboring Egypt as Israel reportedly considers a ground invasion of Gaza if peace efforts fail.

The country, which is led by Hamas' parent movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, has been spearheading efforts to forge a ceasefire between Gaza and Israel. President Mohammed Morsi has hosted leaders from Hamas and two key allies, Qatar and Turkey, to seek a way to end the fighting.

Morsi, who came to power earlier this year after a popular revolt ousted longtime American ally President Hosni Mubarak, also recalled Cairo's ambassador from Israel to protest the offensive.

Follow @NBCNewsWorld But while the government’s stance reflects the will of many regular Egyptians who support the Palestinian struggle against what is widely viewed here as Israeli aggression, those who spoke to NBC News in the capital, Cairo, also worry that Morsi will drag them into conflict with their powerful neighbor.

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