Senior delegations from Hamas and Islamic
Jihad yesterday headed to the Egyptian capital Cairo via the Rafah
border crossing to meet with officials to discuss the “truce” in the
occupied Gaza Strip.
The delegation, led by Hamas leader Yahya Al-Sinwar, is expected to meet
with Egyptian officials “to discuss Hamas-Egypt relations, means of
alleviating the suffering of the Gaza people, and other issues of common
concern,” according to a statement by Hamas.
“This visit comes at the invitation of Egyptian intelligence minister Abbas Kamel,” the statement read.
A Palestinian source told Al-Jazeera that the delegation would discuss
“the delays by Israel in implementing the internationally-brokered
ceasefire in Gaza.”
On his part, the Islamic Jihad’s Secretary-General, Ziyad Al-Nakhaleh,
said the visit would “discuss the understandings of a truce in Gaza”.
Another Islamic Jihad leader told the Anadolu Agency that the
delegations also planned to discuss a proposed Gaza-Israel truce and
prospects for reconciliation between Hamas and rival Palestinian faction
Fatah.
The Palestinian visit comes amid mounting tension following a spate of
Israeli air strikes on Hamas-affiliated positions in Gaza. On Wednesday,
Israeli warplanes carried out two air strikes in Gaza.
Palestinian officials have repeatedly criticised what they described as
“Israel’s procrastination in implementing the understandings of truce in
Gaza.”
For several months, Egyptian, Qatari and UN delegations have been
holding mediation talks between the Palestinian factions in Gaza and
Israel to reach understandings aimed at easing the siege on Gazans.
Since March 2018, more than 250 Palestinians have been killed and
thousands were injured by the Israeli forces in the ongoing protests
near the buffer zone.
Israel has tightened a 12-year siege on the enclave limiting money
transfers, the work of NGOs and humanitarian organisations, and the
availability of construction materials which has led to the shrinking of
Gaza’s economy and a lack of jobs.
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